As if the NL East couldn't get any hotter with a team from the division earning a NL pennant in 3 of the last 4 years and winning the World Series twice in that period.
Now the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have upped the ante with the additions of reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and shortstop Trea Turner, respectively.
Verlander, fresh off his third career Cy Young and second World Series ring with the Houston Astros, has signed a two-year, $86.6 million contract with the New York Mets with an option for the 2025 season. The deal reunites Verlander, who turns 40 next year, with his former Detroit Tigers teammate Max Scherzer. The Mets now have two active pitchers with 3,000 plus strikeouts. Verlander leads Scherzer by all of five strikeouts (3,198 to 3,193). If nothing else there's a very good chance Verlander could make Mets fans forget Jacob deGrom who signed with the Texas Rangers over the weekend.
Yet one could make the case the Phillies have made an even more substantive signing by adding shortstop Trea Turner for $300 million over the next 11 years reuniting him with former Washington Nationals teammate Bryce Harper. Turner, 29, has been getting better year by year since finishing runner up in 2016 NL Rookie of the Year balloting to Corey Seager. Earning a World Series ring with the Nats in 2019, Turner has twice led the NL in steals and has been selected to back to back NL All-Star Teams. Traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers midway through the 2021 season during which he earned the NL batting title, Turner had the best year of his career this past season hitting a career high 21 HR and 100 RBIs along with his first Silver Slugger. Turner has entered the peak years of his career as has Harper and they could make the Phillies a perennial contender for years to come.
Of course, the Atlanta Braves who have won five consecutive NL East titles might have something to say of their own. Still, the NL East will very likely be MLB's most exciting division in 2023.
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