WASHINGTON — The 22-year old infield prospect, deemed by many to be the Nationals’ shortstop of the future, is the minuteman of the present.
Trea Turner was called up from Triple-A Syracuse last week, but hasn’t made a start at the major league level. Going from top prospect on the rise to bench player waiting for a chance isn’t fazing the rookie.
“You gotta do whatever’s asked of you,” he told WTOP at Nationals Park earlier this week. “And be ready for those opportunities. If it’s pinch-running, if it’s defense…a pinch-hit or a start here or there, I need to be ready for it.”
You might think that Turner is ill-suited for such a role, but anyone who’s worn seven different pro uniforms in a 14-month stretch is, by nature, adaptable. Over that span, he’s been everything from a Eugene Emerald to a Fort Wayne TinCap. Turner’s toiled in locations like Surprise, Arizona and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“It’s different being in different cities,” he said. “Once you get comfortable with a place, it’s kinda time to go.”
Turner is well-traveled, but he was also on the proverbial runway for six months. He was the player-to-be-named-later in last winter’s trade that sent Nationals outfielder Steven Souza Jr. (along with minor league pitcher Travis Ott) to Tampa Bay and three more players to San Diego. But Trea couldn’t join the Nats at that time, because he was drafted by the Padres last June, and an MLB rule prevents players from being dealt within a year of being drafted. But he turned what could have been an awkward situation into a productive one.
“I think it only hurts if you focus on that and how you’re in a tough situation,” he said. “So I worked with the coaches as much as I could, got in the cage and got out on the field.”
Turner was hitting .322 in Double-A San Antonio when he was officially traded to the Nats this June. Since then, he’s batted .359 at Double-A Harrisburg and .314 in Syracuse.
The trade from a west coast organization was welcomed by the kid just four years out of high school.
“It’s a positive, seeing how I grew up over here and a lot of my family lives over here,” the Florida native said. “It’s good for them. They can travel more and see me play.”
While he’ll be expected to make the leap from facing minor league pitching to major, Turner has another challenge facing him in D.C. When he was with the Chiefs, he had the opportunity to enjoy Syracuse staple Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. He’s only been in Washington one week, but Turner has yet to sample Ben’s Chili Bowl.
In the clubhouse, Turner is looking forward to learning everything from where to eat, to how to approach a major league curveball.
“Everybody’s been very accepting. You just gotta go about your business, keep your head down and learn as much as you can. Soak it all in. Mouth shut, ears open.”
Timing is everything in baseball. While Turner missed Jayson Werth’s Chia Beard night at the ballpark, he’ll be here for Saturday’s Rubik’s Cube giveaway night. Who wants to tell the 22-year-old what a Rubik’s Cube is?
