The Los Angeles Dodgers lost several key contributors in free agency this past offseason, including Trea Turner, who signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Turner was coming off an All-Star campaign with the Dodgers that saw him hit .298/.343/.466 with 39 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs and 100 RBI and 27 stolen bases across 160 games.
The Dodgers had interest in re-signing Turner, but reportedly weren’t keen on doing so for a long-term contract. There was also an overwhelming belief the Florida native wanted to return to the East Coast.
Along with other factors, Turner said longtime friend Bryce Harper played a big role in signing with the Phillies, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers:
“For the last three years, he kept telling me, ‘We’re going to get you over here, we’re going to get you over here,'” Turner told ESPN in March. “It started as a joke, then as it got closer and [the Phillies] were in win-now mode, everything lined up. He was a big factor, for sure.”
Turner and Harper previously were teammates on the Washington Nationals from 2015-18 before reuniting with the Phillies this year. Last June, Harper raved about Turner and said he was “excited” to see how free agency would unfold.
While the two create a dynamic duo on paper, the Phillies haven’t been able to reap the benefits of penciling Turner and Harper in the same lineup just yet. That is because Harper is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery this past November.
As for Turner, he has continued to be a force at the top of the lineup. In 28 games this season, he is batting .261/.302/.378 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, seven RBI, four stolen bases and 16 runs scored.
Trea Turner: Family was factor in signing with Phillies
During his introductory conference last December, Turner explained that family comfort also factored into his decision to sign with the Phillies.
“I was lucky enough to have some good offers on the table, and it was a tough consideration going through it,” Turner said at the time.
“Me and my wife wanted to weigh all options, try to take the process as serious as possible, because we look at it as a partnership between whatever organization we were going to pick and our family. We were looking at it as all-in for a long time.
“We sat down and talked for a long time. Money wasn’t the No. 1 option for us; obviously it plays a part, but we just pictured ourselves here. I pictured myself in this uniform. [My wife] pictured herself living here and having family come and visit.
“We pictured playing with Bryce (Harper), (Kyle) Schwarber, Kevin Long. It just seemed like a lot of things added up and pointed us in this direction, and we were excited about it. This place is fun to play. I watched a lot of the playoff games, and this place was rocking.
“Just a lot of things pointing in this direction, and we felt really comfortable and happy. … We were committed 100% to where we were going to sign. We weren’t going to try to do a short-term deal or try to get the most money. We were trying to build a family and be in a spot for a long time.”
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