Trea Turner, SS
The Phillies front office made arguably the biggest signing in free agency last offseason with the addition of Trea Turner. His presence ranked as the organization's second biggest signing following the addition of Harper in February 2019. Fans and the team viewed the addition of the shortstop as the missing piece that would put Philadelphia over the top to win a World Series.
Shiesty pic.twitter.com/wQBnXvW0Le
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 18, 2023
However, Turner endured his struggles in his first season with the Phillies. 2023 was his least productive year offensively as a starting shortstop. He had a .266/.320/.459 line with a career-high 150 strikeouts in 639 at-bats. The 30-year-old infielder had a tough year in the field with a new career-high in errors (23) in 153 games. His .960 fielding percentage was one of the lowest of his career.
Following a standing ovation from Phillies fans before his first at-bat during a contest in August, Turner managed to salvage his season to a degree. His .333/.376/.685 (August) and .299/.364/.567 (September) lines were the sort of production expected from him offensively.
Turner's .347/.400/.643 line in 13 postseason contests was solid, but the shortstop faded down the stretch as he went 0-for-12 in Games 5-7 of the NLCS. The Phillies missed his success offensively, particularly in Games 6 and 7 against the Diamondbacks. His four errors in 13 contests were the most he committed during his career in the postseason as well.
The shortstop will be motivated for a much improved second season offensively and defensively with the Phillies in 2024. Philadelphia signed him to a massive contract (11-year, $300 million) last offseason. Turner needs to have a much better season next year, or this deal could begin to look like a terrible decision by the front office.
Grade: C