Trea Turner’s morbid NLCS draws fiery words from MLB radio host: “He’s not a 300 million dollar player”
When the Phillies signed big-name shortstop Trea Turner this past offseason, it was expected that the former Silver Slugger would come through in big situations. However, in the Phillies' recent Conference Series to the D-Backs, Turner did all but that.
After the Phillies took a commanding 3-2 series lead after Game 5 of the NLCS, all they needed to do was win one of the next two. Conveniently, in those final three games of the Phillies' season, Trea Turner went 0-for-12 with a pair of strikeouts as the Phillies lost two straight games, and lost the NLCS to the Diamondbacks.
Alongside his other high-profile teammates Nick Castellanos and Bryce Harper, Turner and company went 0-for-23 as the Phillies mustered only three runs in two games. After the massive Phillies' unravelling, blame was in no short supply.
"Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper each had an OPS above 1.000 this postseason. They went a combined 1-for-11 in NLCS Game 7" - Talkin Baseball
A longtime member of the Washington Nationals, Turner was the NL Rookie of the Year runner-up, and won the 2019 World Series with the Nats. In 2021, the year he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Turner hit .328 on the year, enough to win him the NL batting title.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Turner inked an eleven-year, $300 million deal with the Phillies. However, the start of his season with his new team was not a strong one, hitting just .235 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs through 107 games. On August 3, Philadelphia Phillies fans resolved to give Turner a standing ovation, which kicked off a ten-game hitting streak for the 30-year old.
In a recent appearance on his Philadelphia-based 94WIP radio show, host Joe Gigglio sounded off on Turner. According to Gigglio, Turner's invisibility when it mattered most for his team means that the two-time All-Star is not worthy of his astronomical salary.
""I watched a full season of Trea Turner. He's not a 300 million dollar player, I'm sorry. He swings out of his shoes, he's a below average SS, he has no plate discipline, he's fast, he slides cool and he had a cool moment with the fans. That's the truth." - SPORTSRADIO 94WIP
Trea Turner and his teammates have only themselves to blame
Instead of playing in their second straight World Series, it will instead be the Arizona Diamondbacks who emerge from the NL. While Turner was expected to come in clutch, the celebrated shortstop was invisible. At least he will have another decade to make it up to Phillies fans.