SAN DIEGO – The Philadelphia Phillies landed Trea Turner on Monday, agreeing to a $300 million, 11-year contract with the dynamic shortstop.
The deal includes a no-trade clause, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because there was no immediate announcement.
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Turner joins a Philadelphia team that made it to the World Series this year before losing to the Houston Astros. He also reunites with slugger Bryce Harper after the two played together with the Washington Nationals from 2015-18.
Turner was terrific in his first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting .298 with 21 homers and a career-high 100 RBIs for the 2022 NL West champions. He also swiped 27 bases and scored 101 runs.
The free agent market for the talented Turner likely was enhanced by bigger bases and restrictions on defensive positioning coming to the game next year — two changes that make Turner’s athleticism and defensive versatility even more valuable than before.
He turned down a $19.65 million qualifying offer from the Dodgers in November, joining a stellar group of free agent shortstops that also included Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.
Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for the Phillies, declined to confirm the Turner move, but talked about the importance of marquee players.
“Everybody has different philosophies, but I would say I really philosophically believe that you win with star players,” he said. “Now you can't win with star players alone, but you can build around star players.”
Dombrowski also acknowledged the club's extensive research on the top free agent shortstops, including putting a pro scout on Turner, Correa, Bogaerts and Swanson in the middle of last season.
“Stayed abreast of that all throughout the year,” he said.
Turner, 29, broke into the majors with Washington in 2015. The two-time All-Star hit .300 with 192 steals in six-plus seasons with the Nationals, winning the World Series in 2019.
Turner and ace right-hander Max Scherzer were traded to the Dodgers in a multiplayer deal at the 2021 trade deadline. Turner hit .338 with 10 homers and 11 steals down the stretch, and Los Angeles made it to the NL Championship Series before being eliminated by Atlanta.
Turner is a .302 hitter with 124 homers, 434 RBIs and 230 steals in 849 games. He has spent most of his career at shortstops, but he also has made big league starts at second base and in center field.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports