"He's exceeded expectations for me," Turner said of getting to know Middleton. Owner John Middleton's endearing style - and willingness to open up his checkbook - also helped make the decision for him. It wasn't just the idea of playing in front of the passionate crowds that packed Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park during last October's playoff run that attracted Turner, though. "The city, the fans, they sold it for us last year," Harper said. I told him to enjoy it and hopefully you make the right decision for your family. He was like three to four days away from signing with the team, and he finally called me and asked certain things about where to live and things like that. "I didn't want to have any influence on what he was going to do. "I didn't want to talk to Trea," Harper stated. But he instead chose to give his former teammate space. You don't leave any stone unturned."Īt that point in the process, it wouldn't have been a surprise if Harper had gotten involved in the sales pitch in hopes of using his relationship to help bring Turner to Philadelphia. "Enough people knew him well, but you do your due diligence. "I don't think we needed to meet to know that he would be a good fit," Dombrowski said. Instead, they made a November trip to his Florida home. His experience with those players and coaches, along with years of road trips to the city, also meant that the Phillies didn't feel the need to bring Turner in for a recruiting visit.
Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long also was a former Nat. He had played with Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Howie Kendrick, a special assistant to the GM in Philadelphia, during his time in Washington. While crossing off potential suitors proved difficult, there was one factor that helped Turner move Philadelphia to the top of his list: familiarity. I didn't really have one that I could eliminate pretty easily." I had a few good organizations that I was dealing with. I told teams, 'Just be honest with me and I'll be honest with you.' It was a pretty hard decision. "Going through the process, I tried being as open as I could with everybody. "I didn't want to be super-biased in any direction," Turner explained.
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WHEN TURNER HIT free agency as the top shortstop in a loaded class at the position, many experts predicted he would end up in Philadelphia - but he insists it was a tough decision. He's so dynamic and can impact the game in so many ways. "He was never one of those players you ever looked forward to facing. "It's definitely a lot better having him on this side than what I used to deal with," Phillies catcher J.T Realmuto said. When he does, he'll join a lineup that despite a slow start is second only to the Rays in the majors in hits Turner's 31, good for third-best on the squad, show how quickly he has settled in in Philadelphia. But as Harper zooms through his recovery, it could happen sooner than later. The two have yet to take the field together Harper is still working his way back from offseason Tommy John surgery. Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies in December, reuniting with Harper. Whether or not those whisperings were the difference-maker - Harper said he left Turner alone once his free agency actually started - the strategy paid off. "Every time I'd see him at shortstop, I'd mess with him: 'You'd look great in a Phillies uniform,'" the two-time National League MVP said. Harper remembers the chatter on the basepaths.
"It started as a joke, then as it got closer and were in win-now mode, everything lined up. "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. Harper knew Trea Turner was still a couple of years from free agency, but as long as his former teammate was within earshot, he wanted to plant a seed. IN RECENT SEASONS, whenever Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper reached second base against the Washington Nationals - and then the Los Angeles Dodgers - he made a midgame recruiting pitch to an old friend. How Trea Turner and Bryce Harper were reunited with Phillies
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