The Philadelphia Phillies was the story of the 2022 MLB Postseason, from being the last wild card seed in the N.L. and going to game six of the World Series, where they would lose to the Houston Astros.
The Phillies knew they needed to improve this offseason to compete in the N.L. East, where they finished in third place in 2022 but caught lightning in a bottle and went to the fall classic.
The Phillies decided to go out and sign one of the best shortstops on the market in Trea Turner, who spent time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals.
Turner signed an 11-year 300-million-dollar contract on Monday afternoon with the Phillies after we saw division rival the New York Mets sign star pitcher Justin Verlander minutes before.
What Are The Phillies Getting?
Turner is one of the best shortstops in the sport, and he put up 194 hits, 21 home runs, 100 RBI, 27 stolen bases, a .298 batting average, an all-star appearance, and a Silver Slugger award in 2022.
Turner will turn 30 years old next season so this contract can take him into his early 40s.
Phillies President Of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski had Turner circled all off-season, and on the first day of MLB winter meetings in San Diego, Turner signed with the team.
This signing was an excellent move for the Phillies. They had a young rookie in Bryson Stott, who held down the position last season, and now they can move him over to second base and let him grow at that spot.
Turner is one of the best base runners in the sport, and put him on base with guys like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto at the plate, and you can see tons of movement and runs on the bases.
Turner knows what it takes to win in the N.L. East after spending six and a half seasons with the Washington Nationals and winning the 2019 World Series.
Turner also gets to reunite with his former National teammate Bryce Harper. They spent four seasons together in Washington before Harper signed a free-agent contract with the Phillies in March 2019.
The Phillies’ lineup and defense got better with the addition of Turner, and it’s time for the team to go back and win the fall classic in 2023.
The Shortstop Market Is Heating Up
There were four big free agent shortstops this offseason Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa, and Dansby Swanson. Everyone was waiting for the first domino to drop and see who would set the market, and now we know that Turner was the first, and he has set the market.
We should start seeing the shortstop market heat up now that the market has been set, and it’s going to be a wild offseason to come in the baseball world.
