Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have shored up their bullpen by signing right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $10 million contract, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Kimbrel will be reuniting with former Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia. Dombrowski worked for the Red Sox from 2015 to '19, and Kimbrel spent three seasons in Boston from 2016 to '18.

Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations for the Phillies in 2021.

The 34-year-old Kimbrel has been on the move quite a bit in recent years, spending last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, his sixth different organization since 2014.

After signing a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2019, Kimbrel was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2021 before being flipped to the Dodgers last offseason in exchange for outfielder AJ Pollock.

He became a big part of Los Angeles' success in 2022, recording a 3.75 ERA, 22 saves and 72 strikeouts in 60 innings. The squad posted the best record in the majors during the regular season before falling to the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series.

Consistency has been a problem for the veteran, however, which was especially seen in 2021. After producing a 0.49 ERA across 39 appearances with the Cubs, he had a 5.09 ERA in 24 games with the White Sox.

The eight-time All-Star was one of the top closers in baseball during his prime, posting a 1.43 ERA across five seasons with the Atlanta Braves, adding 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

With his past success and lengthy experience, Kimbrel could be a valuable addition for his new team.

The only question is whether his up-and-down play makes him a trustworthy option in high-leverage situations.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers will be under the national spotlight during the first week of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

ESPN announced its Sunday Night Baseball schedule, and the Phillies will travel to face the Rangers for the first broadcast April 2. That means fans will get a first look at the reigning National League champions and a Rangers squad hoping to compete in the American League West.

This will be the 34th straight year for Sunday Night Baseball, and play-by-play announcer Karl Ravech will be joined by David Cone and Eduardo Perez in the booth. ESPN's Buster Olney will also be included in the broadcasts.

That the Phillies will be highlighted comes as no surprise.

They went to the World Series last season behind a daunting lineup that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos, among others. They also agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with shortstop Trea Turner this offseason, adding even more pop to their offense.

Turner is a World Series champion, two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger and batting title winner who is still in his prime at 29 years old.

As for Texas, it made waves this offseason as well when it brought in pitcher Jacob deGrom on a five-year, $185 million deal with a sixth-year option that could bring the value to $222 million. While deGrom comes with injury risk, he is also one of the best pitchers in the entire league when healthy.

His resume includes two Cy Young awards, four All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year honors and an ERA title.

Philadelphia will be plenty familiar with deGrom if he pitches in the Sunday night game considering he spent the first nine years of his career on the NL East rival New York Mets.

There will be no shortage of star power in that matchup as both teams attempt to get off to an ideal start in the 2023 season.

The Philadelphia Phillies have rewarded the front office after a big 2022 season, announcing extensions through 2025 for general manager Sam Fuld and more Monday.

The Phillies have extended the contracts of Vice President and General Manager Sam Fuld and Assistant General Managers Ned Rice and Jorge Velandia, Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski announced today. Each extension will go through the 2025 season.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) December 19, 2022

The Phillies reached the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and went on a surprising run to the World Series before falling to the Houston Astros in six games.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski received his own three-year extension in November, keeping him under contract through 2027.

Dombrowski joined the organization in December 2020 and promoted Fuld to general manager, and they've helped turn around a club that had gone nine years without a winning record.

After going 82-80 in 2021, the Phillies improved to 87-75 with a wild-card berth in 2022. They replaced manager Joe Girardi after two months last season with Rob Thomson, who led them to playoff series wins over the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

The organization has also been aggressive in free agency and on the trade market. High-priced additions J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos all played significant roles in the World Series run.

Ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline, Philadelphia acquired David Robertson, Noah Syndergaard and Brandon Marsh.

The strategy has continued this offseason as the Phillies signed shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million deal. They also added pitcher Taijuan Walker to a four-year, $72 million contract.

The deals and on-field success earned Fuld and assistant general managers Ned Rice and Jorge Velandia new contracts with the organization.

Bryce Harper and Trea Turner were teammates on the Washington Nationals from 2015 to 2018. They'll likely be together for a whole lot longer in Philadelphia, with Harper having nine more years on his contract and Turner signing an 11-year, $300 million pact with the Phils this week.

And it was, at least in part, a selling point for Turner.

"We pictured playing with Bryce and [Kyle] Schwarber and a lot of those guys on the team now," Turner said Thursday during his introductory press conference. "It just seemed like a lot of things added up and pointed us in this direction."

Turner and Schwarber were briefly teammates with the Nationals in 2021, before both were dealt ahead of the trade deadline.

With the trio of Harper, Turner and Schwarber headlining the offense, the Phillies should have one of the most formidable lineups in baseball next season, especially once Harper returns from Tommy John surgery.

The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms on a four-year, $72 million contract with right-handed starting pitcher Taijuan Walker, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Robert Murray of FanSided initially reported Tuesday that Walker and the Phillies were close on a deal.

Walker went 12-5 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.20 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 157.1 innings for the New York Mets last season.

The 30-year-old has pitched in the bigs for 10 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays and Mets, the last of whom he joined prior to his 2021 All-Star campaign.

Walker joins a rotation that lost two starters to free agency and might lose another.

Zach Eflin signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on a three-year, $40 million contract, and Kyle Gibson inked a one-year, $10 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Noah Syndergaard remains unsigned but recently met with the Baltimore Orioles, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The Phillies have been big spenders this offseason after previously signing shortstop Trea Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract. Now they've added Walker, who should slot into the starting rotation alongside Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suárez.

Philadelphia snuck into the playoffs as the sixth and final team in the National League playoff field but steamrolled its way into the World Series after beating the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres.

The Phils lost a tough Fall Classic to the Houston Astros in six games, but the talent is clearly present for a repeat attempt at the World Series.

A stacked lineup led by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber only gets stronger with Turner, and now Walker adds depth to a rotation that already features two stars in Nola and Wheeler and an impressive Suárez, who posted a 3.65 ERA in his first year as a full-time starter.

The Phillies begin their NL pennant defense on March 30 at the Texas Rangers.

The Philadelphia Phillies' initial, aggressive offseason push to land Trea Turner paid off on Monday, though he actually turned down a bigger offer from another club.

The San Diego Padres offered Turner a $342 million contract, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Athletic's Matt Gelb previously reported San Diego had offered Turner more in "total guaranteed dollars" than the $300 million he agreed to with the reigning National League Champions, with ESPN's Buster Olney adding San Diego's offer would have made Turner the highest-paid shortstop in baseball.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported the 11-year, $300 million agreement between Philadelphia and Turner.

Gelb noted the Padres' had "legitimate interest" in bringing back Turner, who was their first-round draft pick in 2014. Members of the organization met with the two-time All-Star twice before the winter meetings.

The Padres traded Turner to the Washington Nationals six months after he was drafted as part of a three-team deal that included the Tampa Bay Rays.

Olney added with Turner now off the board, the Padres have pivoted their interest to Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Xander Bogaerts.

Almost as soon as the World Series ended, there were rumblings that Turner and the Phillies had strong mutual interest. The Athletic's Jayson Stark told 97.5 The Fanatic on Nov. 9 there were "some interesting rumblings" the 29-year-old wanted to be in Philadelphia.

According to Gelb, the Phillies' pitch to Turner included meetings in Florida with the president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, general manager Sam Fuld and manager Rob Thompson before Thanksgiving to meet members of his family.

Gelb also noted Bryce Harper, who previously advocated strongly for the Phillies to re-sign J.T. Realmuto, began lobbying team officials to pursue Turner during the regular season.

It's not specified what San Diego's offer was for Turner, but general manager A.J. Preller has been as aggressive as any executive over the past two years. He has traded for Yu Darvish, Mike Clevinger, Josh Hader, Juan Soto and Blake Snell since 2021.

The Padres have also spent big money to sign Manny Machado as a free agent (10 years, $300 million) and extend Fernando Tatis Jr. (14 years, $340 million). They have made the postseason in two of the last three years, including losing to the Phillies in the 2022 NLCS.

As aggressive as Preller has been recently, Dombrowski has been the king of aggressive moves dating back to his time with the Detroit Tigers. His desire to add superstar talent paid off in a big way, with Turner set to join a Phillies team coming off a World Series appearance.

As the newest member of the team can vouch, the Philadelphia Phillies clearly have the pedal firmly to the metal as they continue their pursuit of a World Series championship.

This particular member is none other than Trea Turner. On Monday, the speedy, powerful shortstop agreed to join the defending National League champions on a deal that ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported is worth $300 million over 11 years:

Source: Turner is getting 11 years, $300 million with a full no trade clause https://t.co/mvpDfFLrHb

— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) December 5, 2022

An additional report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post clarified that the 29-year-old Turner's contract also includes no opt-outs.

It's thus much in the mold of the 13-year, $330 million contract that Bryce Harper signed with the Phillies in March 2019. Just as that was the beginning of a wonderful partnership, the same should prove to be true of Turner's own union with the Phillies.

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Trea Turner and the Phillies Are Perfect for One Another

Contrary to Jacob deGrom's landing with the Texas Rangers, Turner's pact with the Phillies is the early leader in the clubhouse for the least surprising move of the 2022-23 offseason.

There were whispers about Turner—who debuted with the Washington Nationals in 2015 before landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade midway through 2021—and the Phillies joining forces as far back as June. It therefore rang true when Jon Morosi of MLB Network on Nov. 30 tabbed the Phillies as the team to beat in his market:

The #Phillies have emerged as favorites to sign Trea Turner. My latest report here. @MLBNetwork pic.twitter.com/PVjw5f6NhP

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 30, 2022

As to why Turner and Philadelphia are such a good fit, well, how much time do you have?

Though it didn't keep them from coming within two wins of the franchise's first World Series title since 2008, the Phillies were among MLB's biggest stragglers at shortstop in 2022. Led primarily by rookie Bryson Stott, the players they tried at the position produced just a .651 OPS, 12 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 0.6 rWAR.

For his part, Turner's 162-game averages over the last three seasons include an .877 OPS, 27 homers, 31 steals and 5.7 rWAR. Check and mate.

Albeit on a temporary basis, the Phillies also needed a means to deepen their lineup while they await Harper's recovery from Tommy John surgery. Signing Turner did that, especially if manager Rob Thomson uses him in the leadoff spot so 46-homer slugger Kyle Schwarber can bat in the middle of the order.

Once Harper is back on the field—which should be sometime around the All-Star break—the Phillies stand to have perhaps the most dynamic offense in the NL.

They were indeed the only team in the Senior Circuit to hit 200 home runs and steal 100 bases in 2022. Turner is a proven contributor on both fronts. And given how well his elite sprint speed jibes with the larger bases and pickoff limitations coming to MLB in 2023, it's possible he hasn't yet peaked as a base stealer.

In addition to all the reasons the Phillies have to be excited right now, let's also acknowledge the things that must have Turner himself feeling elated.

The money, obviously, but also more personal matters as well. There seems to be plenty of mutual fondness between the Turners and the Harpers, and every indication is that the Turner clan also just plain digs the East Coast.

No opt out in Turner deal. But it works great for him as he’s on the East Coast in Philly (his wife is from New Jersey) with spring in Florida (he’s from Lake Worth)

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 5, 2022

So, what's not to like?

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This Is a Huge But Worthwhile Risk

Well, for one thing, that's a whole lotta years and a whole lotta dollars for someone who isn't exactly young and whose skill set isn't devoid of red flags.

Next year will be Turner's age-30 season, so his new deal will carry him all the way through his age-40 season in 2033. No matter what happens, the Phillies will invariably be saddled with his decline years.

There's a prospect that those will come sooner rather than later, if for no other reason than the aging curve for speed is about as ominous as one would think:

Trea Turner is turning 30, and his obviously elite skill is his speed. Except, speed always declines at a certain point. What does that mean for Turner's free agency?

-> https://t.co/KsnohKUtxm pic.twitter.com/d5Ni5MArq7

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) December 5, 2022

The more Turner's speed dries up, the more he'll have to use other means to produce value.

Which brings us to still more red flags, including his hit-or-miss metrics at shortstop and what befell the quality of his contact last season. To wit, the 88.9 mph he averaged on batted balls was his lowest mark since his rookie campaign.

And yet to focus on how Turner might struggle to provide return on investment in the long run is to ignore the massive rewards the Phillies could reap in the short run.

Their championship window is, after all, wide-open right now. And save for Aaron Nola, Rhys Hoskins and José Alvarado, who are slated for free agency after 2023, the Phillies' core players are locked up for more than one season. That's the prop they need to keep said window open.

When it does start to close, Jayson Stark of The Athletic noted how Turner's contract seems explicitly designed to allow the Phillies to get the pieces they need to stop or at least slow that process:

The #Phillies strategy with Turner was very similar to how they approached the Bryce Harper talks in 2019.

They proposed a lower AAV over more years to give them more flexibility to build a roster around both players.

Both were open to that structure. Obviously!

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 5, 2022

Even now, the $27.3 million average annual value of Turner's deal is plenty reasonable. It'll become even more so with each passing year, especially in the context of rising luxury-tax thresholds.

In the meantime, still another bonus of Turner's pact is that the Phillies denied one of their biggest enemies a huge puzzle piece. Sans Turner, the Dodgers have no choice but to look elsewhere for a shortstop. And with less hope of finding a discount, to boot.

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Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson Are Now On the Clock

If Turner is worth $300 million over 11 years, what does that mean for Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson?

Nothing but good things, in all likelihood.

While the general expectation at the outset of the offseason was that Turner would secure a rather large bag, nobody forecast his contract at double-digit years with a guarantee of $300 million. That includes us, as we had him slated for eight years and $272 million.

As such, it now seems instructive to revisit our projections for the three star shortstops who are left:

• Carlos Correa: 9 years, $270 million
• Xander Bogaerts: 8 years, $240 million
• Dansby Swanson: 6 years, $140 million

Those look a little light right about now, particularly where Correa is concerned.

Correa, 28, isn't just younger than Turner. He's also more accomplished, having racked up the most rWAR of any shortstop since 2015 and the most postseason home runs of any shortstop this side of Derek Jeter. He was also ineligible for a qualifying offer and, unlike Turner, is therefore not tied to draft-pick compensation.

As he did when he signed a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins in March, Correa could once again defy expectations by accepting a short-term, high-AAV contract. But if he and agent Scott Boras want to use Turner's deal as a model, it's hard to imagine he will settle for less than 11 years, $300 million.

In any case, Turner's contract already has this offseason's market positioned to be one that no shortstop will ever forget.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

The Philadelphia Phillies got their man.

Superstar shortstop Trea Turner reportedly agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal with the team on Monday, per multiple reports:

Source: Turner is getting 11 years, $300 million with a full no trade clause https://t.co/mvpDfFLrHb

— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) December 5, 2022

Turner gets $300 million over 11 years with a full no-trade clause, per source.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 5, 2022

Turner gets full no-trade clause as well. https://t.co/sdw743jRXg

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 5, 2022

According to Spotrac, the Phillies will now head into the 2023 season with a projected tax payroll of $217 million.

With the addition of Trea Turner, the #Phillies now carry 5 players with a tax salary of $20M or more.

They currently project to a $217M opening day tax payroll.https://t.co/RwV5iRuIHy

— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 5, 2022

The defending National League champions will have one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. Here's what the lineup could look like once superstar Bryce Harper is able to return from offseason Tommy John surgery—expected to be sometime around the All-Star break as a designated hitter and later in the season as the right-fielder:

1. Trea Turner, SS
2. Kyle Schwarber, DH
3. J.T. Realmuto, C
4. Bryce Harper, RF
5. Nick Castellanos, LF
6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
7. Bryson Stott, 2B
8. Alec Bohm, 3B
9. Brandon Marsh, CF

That is arguably the scariest lineup in baseball once Harper returns, assuming the Phillies can stay healthy. The Phillies could already mash, but adding the 29-year-old Turner—who hit .298 with 21 homers, 100 RBI, 101 runs, 27 stolen bases and an .809 OPS—will give the Phillies another dynamic player at or near the top of the lineup.

Add in the one-two punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola atop the rotation, and the Phillies are building a powerhouse.

There will be questions to be answered, like filling out the rotation behind Wheeler, Nola and Ranger Suárez. The bullpen was a huge issue in the World Series against the Houston Astros and needs to be improved. Teams with great pitching tend to fell teams with great hitting come October.

But the Phillies won't have many weaknesses at the plate. Turner's addition makes them a major threat heading into the 2023 campaign, and his addition is one of the signature signings of free agency this winter.

The Philadelphia Phillies have added one of Major League Baseball's most dynamic players in All-Star shortstop Trea Turner.

Per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, Turner will sign an 11-year, $300 million contract that includes a full no-trade clause.

Trea Turner and the Phillies have agreed on a 11-year, $300M contract, per @kileymcd and @JeffPassan pic.twitter.com/hTxUIcKFmL

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 5, 2022

Turner has been one of the best players in MLB since his first full season with the Washington Nationals in 2016. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, despite playing just 73 games.

The Dodgers made Turner and Seager teammates midway through the 2021 season when they acquired him, along with Max Scherzer, from the Nationals in exchange for four players.

While the trade made the Dodgers stronger on paper for the rest of 2021, it was also a shrewd bit of roster management by the front office. Seager was set to become a free agent at the end of the year, while Turner had one more year of arbitration left.

Seager wound up leaving to sign with the Texas Rangers. Turner took over as the Dodgers' starting shortstop in 2022. He turned in an excellent season with a .298/.343/.466 slash line, 21 homers, 100 RBI and 27 stolen bases.

Per FanGraphs, Turner finished ninth among all NL players with 6.3 wins above replacement. He has been worth at least 4.2 fWAR in each of the past four full seasons (excluding the 2020 season that was shortened to 60 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Since the start of 2018, Turner ranks seventh in MLB with 24.9 FanGraphs wins above replacement. The two-time All-Star has a .303/.359/.491 slash line with an average of 20 homers and 29 stolen bases per season during that span.

Turner's combination of speed and power, along with above-average defense at shortstop, makes him one of the most valuable players in baseball every year.

Even if Turner's speed becomes a lesser part of his game as he starts to age, his power and glove will allow him to hold significant value in the latter years of this deal.

The Phillies will be counting on Turner to be a key player as they pursue the postseason in 2023 and beyond. It's an aggressive move for the front office, but one that seems likely to pay huge dividends given his unique skill set.

Fresh off an appearance in the World Series, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski isn't resting on his laurels.

It's not a surprise to see a team run by Dombrowski continue to make aggressive moves. It has been his modus operandi dating back to his time with the Detroit Tigers and again with the Boston Red Sox.

There's no arguing with the results, as his teams have made the World Series four times since 2006, winning with the Red Sox in 2018.

Turner fills a huge need for the Phillies at shortstop. Bryson Stott was a huge upgrade for their defense during their postseason run, but he hit only .234/.295/.358 in 127 games during the regular season.

Among 27 shortstops with at least 450 plate appearances in 2021, Stott tied for 20th in FanGraphs wins above replacement (1.4). Turner was No. 3 (6.3), behind only Francisco Lindor (6.8) and Dansby Swanson (6.4).

The Phillies will enter 2023 with a nucleus of Turner, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins. They need more depth in the starting rotation, but that offense is more than capable of letting them compete with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves atop the NL East.