Phillies Reportedly Ink Trea Turner To $300 Million Deal — Fourth Largest In MLB History

Topline

The Philadelphia Phillies and Trea Turner agreed to one of the largest contracts in MLB history, according to several reports Monday afternoon, adding one of the game’s top shortstops to the reigning National League champion.

Key Facts

The deal is worth $300 million over 11 seasons, ESPN first reported.

That’s tied for the fourth-largest free agent contract ever in the sport, narrowly trailing the $330 million the Phillies gave Bryce Harper in 2019.

Key Background

A 2022 Silver Slugger winner and two-time All Star, Turner joins the two-time Most Valuable Player award winner Harper in Philadelphia as the Phillies look to avenge their World Series loss to the Houston Astros last month, filling one of the most glaring holes on the Philadelphia roster. The Phillies’ billionaire owner John Middleton has largely rebuilt his team by throwing unprecedented amounts of money at free agents, also inking JT Realmuto to the largest contract for a catcher ever at five years and $115.5 million last January and signing the team’s ace pitcher Zack Wheeler to a five-year, $118 million contract in 2019. A former teammate of Harper’s with the Washington Nationals, Turner played an integral role in Washington’s first-ever World Series win in 2019.

Crucial Quote

“I’m thinking that maybe I underpaid him,” Middleton said about Harper after he led Philadelphia to its first National League title since 2009, proving the tobacco heir has few regrets about his latest spending spree.

What To Watch For

How much free agent outfielder Aaron Judge signs for. Judge, who shattered the American League’s single-season home run record in 2022, was considered the top free agent on the market this winter alongside Turner. His prior team, the New York Yankees, offered the slugger about $300 million over eight years, ESPN reported last week. That price tag — at roughly $38 million average annual value — would far surpass Turner’s $27 million.

Further Reading

Inside The Two Billionaire Owners Going Head-To-Head In The World Series (Forbes)