Trea Turner might have stayed in L.A., but Dodgers never made him an offer

Despite his Florida roots and East Coast inclinations, Trea Turner would have been open to staying with the Dodgers long-term this past winter — to potentially spend the prime of his career with a juggernaut in Los Angeles.

“I would’ve entertained it,” Turner said. “They were definitely in my top few teams.”

The inevitable happened instead.

In what has become a common theme for a franchise that has watched a parade of premium talent walk out the door in recent years, the Dodgers never came very close to keeping Turner in the Southland.

Despite having all of last year to work on a potential extension for two-time All-Star shortstop after the Dodgers traded for him midway through 2021, the sides failed to make enough traction in contract negotiations to strike a new deal.

And once Turner did reach free agency over the winter, the Dodgers effectively bowed out of the sweepstakes for the 29-year-old star, failing to make him any formal offers before he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for 11 years and $300 million in early December.

“I don’t know if surprise is the right word,” Turner said Monday when asked about the Dodgers decision not to heavily pursue him this winter. “I had conversations with them in spring training last year, and that didn’t work out. Once that happened, anything is possible. It’s a business ... It just didn’t work out.”