Dodgers: Trea Turner making case LAD must extend him

The Los Angeles Dodgers look like a team that doesn’t really want to live in a world without Trea Turner.

Luckily, with a few minor adjustments, they won’t have to.

Turner, the second-most-prominent superstar acquired by the Dodgers at the deadline (what a designation!), has been in flames ever since donning the blue-and-white, contributing just as much or more than the fire-breathing ace the team also managed to outfox the Padres and land.

If Los Angeles wants to keep the party going this offseason by extending Turner’s services beyond the end of 2022, they very much could do so — even while paying Corey Seager and Chris Taylor, too.

Despite rumors that claimed he was uncomfortable on the west coast and at a new position, Turner has stepped right in to ignite the offense beginning with his Dodgers debut.

His performance last week further solidified how effective an offensive engine he can be.

The Dodgers must extend spark plug Trea Turner.

Again, we mean this as nicely as possible. How can you possibly opt to roll the dice with Gavin Lux when you could simply maintain the elite combination of Turner and Corey Seager for a seemingly infinite number of years.

The Dodgers, as currently constructed, print money. They might as well be pursuing free agents with an all-new currency called Dodger Bucks.

When MLB redraws the competitive balance line in their forthcoming CBA, it will only likely slice into the Dodgers’ budget somewhat. If the league creates a salary floor and a HARD salary cap around $180 million, then sure, things have changed. Perhaps we’ll have to reevaluate this position. For now? There’s no reason to shrug off the contributions of a player batting .328 in 15 games since arriving in Los Angeles.

Especially since the only issue in his game (his somewhat shoddy defense at second) can be amended with extensions for both him and Seager … then a position switch for Seager as he ages! Sometimes things really do work out perfectly … for the team with unlimited cash and allure.

Losing either Turner or Seager would be a tough pill to swallow, unless Los Angeles manages to secure their second consecutive World Series victory this fall.

Baseball is a game of difficult bounces, though. Perhaps LA ends up in the one-game Wild Card, the type of contest that often ruins a franchise’s best-laid plans.

Wouldn’t it be nice if they examined the talent before them and opted to keep it all in one place? Don’t let Turner hit the open market. Don’t let Seager get one foot out the door.

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