SAN DIEGO -- The Phillies have filled their need at shortstop, signing two-time All-Star Trea Turner to an 11-year deal worth $300 million. The contract also includes a no-trade clause, according to a source.
Turner, 29, is a massive addition to the Phillies. A .302 hitter over his eight-year career, he brings a potent bat coupled with speed and a quality glove. He was the Phillies' primary target this offseason.
Turner hit .298 with 100 RBIs last season with the Dodgers. He also collected 21 homers to go along with 27 stolen bases.
The contract averages out to $27.27 million per season with no deferrals. The deal ranks as the 10th-largest total value contract in baseball history.
The Phillies' season-ending luxury tax payroll was $243 million, according to the Associated Press. The club shed roughly $70 million this offseason in salary from expiring contracts, leaving president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski with plenty of financial flexibility to work within.
“I would just say, I don’t think we’re looking to cut our salaries back,” Dombrowski said last month. “But I’m not really going to make a specific declaration. … We have our budget in place. We by all means have the freedom to … we had a lot of money that came off. Our owners want us to do well. They’re very aggressive in that regard.”
Turner has connections with Philadelphia, having been teammates with Bryce Harper during his time in Washington while also working with hitting coach Kevin Long when he was with the Nationals. Turner also wanted to play on the east coast as his wife, Kristen, is from New Jersey.
Bryston Stott will slide over to second base to make room for Turner.
The projected starting lineup for now for the Phillies looks like this:
SS - Trea Turner
LF - Kyle Schwarber
C - J.T. Realmuto
DH - Bryce Harper
RF - Nick Castellanos
1B - Rhys Hoskins
2B - Bryson Stott
3B - Alec Bohm
CF - Brandon Marsh
The Phillies had the sixth worst production from the shortstop position determined by WAR last season and have not had an All-Star shortstop since Jimmy Rollins in 2005.
(Updating...)
