Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner says prior to being traded by the Nationals, he'd held out hope that he might be able to play the rest of his career in Washington.
Such a scenario would have obviously necessitated the 28-year-old All-Star shortstop (who's since been plugged in at second in LA) remaining in Washington, rather than being traded along with Max Scherzer to the Dodgers ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline. It also means the Nationals and Turner were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension, clearly.
Prior to trading Turner, Nats GM Mike Rizzo told The Sports Junkies his club had been in conversation with Turner about a possible extension "for the last couple of spring trainings."
Days after the trade, Jon Heyman reported the Nats indeed made an offer to Turner, but not since March 2020, when they made the shortstop a six-year, $100 million offer.
Turner's production exploded from there. In a 155-game span from the start of the 2020 season, Turner hit .327 (.924 OPS) with seven triples, 32 doubles, 30 homers, 90 RBI and 33 stolen bases, making the All-Star shortstop all the more valuable on the trade market and that much more expensive to sign.
These types of public battles to gain control of the narrative aren't uncommon after a star player's been traded. What makes the case between Turner and the Nationals so compelling is that the two sides still had more than a year to work out a deal, as Turner isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2022 season.
The fans, however, are often left out of that equation altogether, forced to come to grips with seeing one of their favorite players head west to compete for a World Series title with another team, while also watching the aftermath of these narrative feuds play out in the public sphere.
The heart aches a little more each time a Turner highlight pops into their feed.
All the while, fans are left to wonder what could have been.
