Dodgers Rumors: Mets emerging as top threat to sign Trea Turner?

Up until last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t really have anybody to fear in free agency. The typical behemoth spenders in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have fallen off over the last half-decade due to their hesitancy to exceed the luxury tax threshold for consecutive seasons (despite still possessing some of the league’s highest payrolls).

But now, the New York Mets have the richest owner in the sport by far. Steve Cohen is worth close to $13 billion and has already flexed his power the last two years by giving Francisco Lindor $341 million, Max Scherzer $130 million, Edwin Diaz $102 million, and Starling Marte $78 million.

So whenever the Mets are now mentioned in rumors that pertain to the Dodgers, LA fans should be extra wary of losing out on the bidding. On that note, we regret to inform you that Trea Turner’s future with the Dodgers is officially in peril if we’re to believe this bit of offseason buzz.

New York has reportedly been eyeing Turner for quite some time despite the presence of fellow shortstop Lindor, with the idea of playing the speedster at different positions (likely center field and second base).

It’s unclear if that’s what Turner wants, but if he’s offered the most money to return to the east coast, many would guess he’ll sign off on any role requested by his potential new team.

Here’s the latest from SNY’s Andy Martino:

“The Mets have been internally discussing Trea Turner “for a long time,” knowing that he was about to hit free agency.“As far as whether the Mets can fit Turner within their budget, Martino theorizes that if Jacob deGrom leaves, it could make a Turner deal more palatable for New York — with Martino noting that it could “open up a lot of money to do creative things.“DeGrom will likely be seeking $44 million annually.“Estimates have Turner, 29, receiving a deal in excess of $30 million or more annually.”

Though the Dodgers have a lot of money coming off the books, they have far more areas of the roster to address than the Mets. New York losing players like Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo would sting, but the top of their rotation is already set with Scherzer (whereas the Dodgers still need to figure that out) and Nimmo’s departure wouldn’t exactly drastically affect the core of Lindor, Marte, Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, especially if Turner slides right in.

On paper, while the Dodgers have more financial “flexibility” than the Mets when looking at the “guaranteed” money on the payroll, New York has only one long-term contract on the books with Lindor’s $341 million deal. The Dodgers have both Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman through at least 2027 and then have to earmark dollars to take care of Julio Urías and Walker Buehler when the time comes.

The Dodgers are financially aggressive, but they’re not financially irresponsible. The Mets have the luxury of being both, which is why they should be feared if there’s any truth to their connection with Turner.

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