‘The tandem downfall of $300 million shortstops’
Trey Turner, 29-Philadelphia Phillies, was considered the best free agent signing last offseason. Signing an 11-year, $300 million megadeal with Philadelphia late last year, Turner was considered the best signing because he could turn the Phillies’ biggest weakness, the shortstop position, into a strength.
Expectations for Turner grew even higher when he hit five home runs to lead the United States to a runner-up finish at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) earlier this year.토토사이트
However, when the lid was lifted, Turner’s performance exceeded expectations and he descended into one of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball (MLB).
In 57 games this season, Turner has struggled to break out of his slump with a .237 batting average, five home runs, and a .654 on-base percentage (OPS) in 256 at-bats. Most notably, his .281 slugging percentage ranks third-to-last in the National League (NL). That’s hard to believe considering Turner’s career BABIP is 0.350.
The struggles of the trusted Turner have left last year’s World Series runner-up Philadelphia in fourth place in the NL East with a 26-32 record. Unless they can turn things around, they won’t even punch their ticket to the postseason, with the third wild card available.
Turner isn’t the only $300 million shortstop who has lost faith – Francisco Lindor (29-New York Mets), who ushered in the first $300 million era for shortstops with a 10-year, $341 million contract in 2021.
In 59 games this season, Lindor has 10 home runs in 257 at-bats, a .212 batting average and a .691 OPS. That’s relatively better than Turner, but it’s still abysmal.
Lindor’s .284 OPS ranks last to fifth among all NL hitters, so that’s two $300 million shortstops in the bottom third and fifth in OPS, respectively.
The Mets, who are loaded with ultra-high-priced contractors, are in third place in the NL East with a 30-29 record as their key players, including Lindor, have failed to perform. The Mets’ payroll (total one-year salaries) is $345.47 million, which is by far the highest among MLB’s 30 clubs.
The $300 million shortstop, who ranks in the bottom five in OPS, serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of ultra-long contracts.