Detroit Tigers: Entering Trea Turner sweepstakes deserves some thought

Detroit Tigers should pursue Trea Turner this winter.

The Detroit Tigers are extremely unlikely to make a major move this offseason by bringing in a middle infielder, but who knows? It's still early. For the Tigers, they need to pursue Trea Turner after his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers has expired.

The Detroit Tigers will not be able to sell Turner on coming to the Motor City to join a team that is still working to get back to an era of competition. Things would be different if the Tigers were closer to competing and working towards a World Series.

It's a similar argument as to why José Abreu was an intriguing option for the Tigers. However, he was unlikely to make it there, with competing postseason teams having better bids for him; in the case of Turner, it's likely a similar outlook.

Turner would bring a ton to the table for the Tigers organization and be someone that helps fill needs in the infield. But, for the Tigers, they may be unable to outbid the other teams or come up with an offer enticing enough for Turner to turn down a competing team.

He was the team's shortstop last season but has also had the ability to play second base. It's not easy to see a contract working out, but it sounds exciting to think about Turner playing middle infield for the Tigers organization moving forward.

While I could see Harris and the front office brass being excited about the idea of targeting Turner, I'm not sure shelling out the money is what lines up with Harris's visions. Turner would be a massive upgrade to the lineup for years to come.

He's so toolsy, with a hit tool that should excite anyone and the speed that makes him an uber-athletic option in the field. He's coming off a 2022 season where he played in 160 games, accumulating 708 plate appearances for the Dodgers.

The right-handed hitter slashed .298/.343/.466 with 39 doubles, four triples, and 21 home runs with 100 RBI. Not to mention, Turner also was 27-30 on stealing bags. He's a threat on the bases with impeccable baserunning.

The sounds of it are great. The appeal is there. But the Tigers' ability to beat a postseason competitor's offer will likely prevail. The Tigers may not be going out shopping for a shortstop with Harris believing in Javier Báez, but it's a good thought.