Shortstop Trea Turner inks 11-year, $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies

Trea Turner will return to the NL East after signing a contract worth $300 million with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Multiple reports say the 29-year old shortstop will move to the City of Brotherly Love after spending last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Philadelphia made their eighth ever World Series appearance last season – their first since 2009 – by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Diego Padres to win the National League title.

The Phillies fought the Houston Astros and fell in six games – losing the World Series for the sixth time in franchise history.

Ex-Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner is returning to the NL East, joining the Philadelphia Phillies

Turner will be reunited with his former Washington Nationals teammate Bryce Harper, who was named MVP of the NLCS after the outfielder led the Phillies to a victory in that series in five games. According to ESPN, 

Last season, the Dodgers were knocked out in the NLDS in four games thanks to the Padres – despite Los Angeles finishing with the best record in baseball.

In the four games Turner played, he hit two home runs and drove in two RBI on six hits. He managed a .333 batting average, a .333 OBP, and a .778 slugging percentage in that postseason as well.

Turner will be reunited with his former teammate and last year’s NLCS MVP, OF Bryce Harper

They were teammates with the Washington Nationals, where Turner won the 2019 World Series

Over two seasons with the Dodgers, turner hit .307 with a .353 OBP and a .490 slugging percentage.

He hit a total of 31 home runs, 128 RBI, and 264 total hits alongside 38 stolen bases.

Turner arrived in Los Angeles from Washington via a trade. He was sent along with Max Scherzer to the Dodgers in exchange for prospects Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, Gerardo Carrillo, and Donovan Casey.

With the Dodgers, Turner smacked 31 home runs, 128 RBI & 264 hits in one-and-a-half seasons

Last season, the Phillies had the fourth highest payroll in Major League Baseball at over $244 million – putting them over the league’s luxury tax threshold.

That payroll is over $90 million higher than the league average of $150.6 million and $178.3m more than the lowest payroll in the NL – belonging to the Pittsburgh Pirates at only $66.1m

As of now, the Phillies’ payroll stands at $140.9m with free agency only just starting to get into gear. Currently, they have the ninth highest payroll in the league.