Padres News: Nationals Can Add Trea Turner This Weekend
The San Diego Padres shortstop of the future is soon to be a Washington National. Trea Turner is listed as “technically” the player to be named later in the three team deal that brought Wil Myers to the Padres. Being that Turner was dealt within one year of his draft date, the two teams had to wait to make the deal official.
Everyone in baseball knows that Turner is going to be that PLTBL, and it’s just a formality. On June 14th 2014 Turner signed his deal to play for the San Diego Padres, and one year from that date he is eligible to be traded. Turner will be moved to the Washington Nationals. He is expected to join the Class AA Harrisburg team as early as this weekend.
Losing Turner is particularly hard for the Padres as he is exactly what the team needs at the moment. A lead-off type shortstop with speed. Turner isn’t major league ready, but he is very close. The Nationals expect Turner to be their shortstop of the future. Current Starting shortstop Ian Desmond rejected an extension in the excess of $100 million dollars in the off-season. The team was none too pleased, and essentially told Desmond to take a hike.
Trea Turner is off to a great start in the Padres farm system this year. In Class AA San Antonio, Turner has a .324/.389/486 batting line with five home runs, 33 RBI’s and 11 stolen bases in 54 games. He has played exceptional shortstop and has shown a very mature approach on the field. Turner will be a very good player in the Major Leagues, its just a matter of time.
The 22 year-old Turner was the Padres first round pick (13th overall) last season out of North Carolina State University. He has progressed very quickly through the Minor League system and could even make a debut with the Nationals this summer.
Most Padres fans are still upset over losing Turner, but Wil Myers is an excellent proven talent. The price in acquiring Myers was very steep and now that Turner is officially dealt, reality is setting in. Joe Ross made his major league debut this past week, and he too was dealt in the Wil Myers deal. Jake Bauers and Burch Smith were also decent prospects and Rene Rivera was a useful catcher. The Padres most surely paid the price for the former American League rookie of the year.
If Padres fans had to do this deal over again, I believe most would think twice. The upside of the prospects is tantalizing, however In the end I still believe Wil Myers is the best player in the trade. Once he figures it out and is able to stay healthy, he should be an MVP type talent. He has tremendous upside and his ceiling is higher than that of Turner, Ross or any prospect dealt for him.
Time will only tell who got the best of the three team deal. The Padres needed to make a bold move and they did just that. In most Padres fans minds, the teams has already won no matter what the final record is. The San Diego Padres have a great future, even if that future doesn’t contain Trea Turner.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.