The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies have made the second big free agency splash of the day.
Mere hours after their NL East rivals, the New York Mets, had signed American League Cy Young and Comeback Player of the Year Justin Verlander, the Phils struck back, signing shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million deal.
By signing with the defending NL champs, Turner will reunite with former Washington Nationals teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
On Twitter, ESPN announced the news of the signing and tweeted a photo of Turner and Harper standing next to each other, both in Phillies attire.
Breaking: Shortstop Trea Turner and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a contract, a source tells @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/w3ZEFNAnvq
— ESPN (@espn) December 5, 2022
Turner Joins Phillies
The defending National League champions just got that much tougher to beat.
The expectation entering the offseason was that the Phillies would be the ones to sign Turner.
Lo and behold, that prediction has become reality.
The 29-year-old star hit .298 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI during the regular season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After Philadelphia had declined Jean Segura‘s team option, it became clear that they were going to be in the market for at least one of the top shortstops.
With the Turner signing, the Phillies can now move Bryson Stott over to second base.
Their lineup now features Turner, Harper, Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos, and Rhys Hoskins.
With the vast depth in their lineup, the Phillies are now serious threats to make a return to the World Series in 2023.
With the veteran Turner off the board, teams in the shortstop market will shift their focus to Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, and Xander Bogaerts.
NEXT: MLB Fan Praises Phillies For Trea Turner Signing