Trea Turner shares interesting detail about his departure from Dodgers

May 2, 2023

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Apr 14, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) high fives teammates after scoring on a double hit by designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (not pictured) in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Trea Turner signed a massive contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last offseason, and there were differing reports about how much of an effort the Los Angeles Dodgers made to keep him. The star shortstop says his former team did not try very hard.

Turner on Monday returned to L.A. for the first time since he left the Dodgers. After the Phillies’ 13-4 loss, he spoke with reporters about the process that led to him signing an 11-year, $300 million deal with his new team.

Turner said he would have considered a competitive offer from the Dodgers, but they did not make one. The only West Coast team that was in the running to sign him was the San Diego Padres.

Trea Turner said his communication with the Dodgers front office was straightforward throughout. Didn’t want to say he was surprised or disappointed that the Dodgers didn’t make more of a push for him, but said they definitely would’ve been among his top teams.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 1, 2023

The Dodgers took a similar approach with Corey Seager in 2021, and it was believed that Turner’s presence was a big reason for that. Turner was one of the best hitters in baseball for his one-plus season in L.A., but the Dodgers let him walk, too.

Perhaps the Dodgers knew they were going to be outbid by a wide margin and did not want to insult Turner with a formal offer.

The Dodgers clearly have their eye on one massive free agent prize, which is why they have not re-signed all of their star players. Their decision to not make a valiant effort to bring Turner back was certainly nothing personal.

Turner, a career .300 hitter, is batting .260 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI in 30 games with the Phillies.