On Monday, Trea Turner officially came off the board.
The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies inked the star shortstop to an 11-year, $300 million deal that reunites him with his former Washington Nationals teammates in Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
At the onset of the offseason, the popular consensus was that the Phillies would be the ones to sign Turner.
After the team declined Jean Segura‘s club option, it became clear that signing one of the high-profile shortstops was a top priority for General Manager Dave Dombrowski.
The 29-year-old also finds himself in some elite company with his now former Los Angeles Dodgers teammate in Freddie Freeman.
Over the last five seasons, Turner and Freeman are the only two players in baseball to have collected at least 800 hits and scored 450 or more runs.
Trea Turner is an elite hitter. pic.twitter.com/J9vgopNr3H
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) December 6, 2022
Turner In Elite Company
Needless to say, Turner is in an elite class of his own.
The veteran shortstop hit for a .298 average with 21 home runs and 100 RBI during the regular season with the Dodgers, helping lead the team to a 111-win season and an NL West title.
But it’s clear that the Phillies have caught lighting in a bottle with the signing of Turner.
Their lineup already featured Harper, Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, and Rhys Hoskins.
Adding Turner to the mix gives the Phillies an elite lineup, especially given what he has been able to accomplish over the past five seasons.
The Phillies are now a serious threat to make another run to the World Series in 2023.
NEXT: Are The Phillies Now 2023 World Series Favorites?
