Phillies make Didi Gregorius signing official

(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Phillies on Friday officially announced the signing of shortstop Didi Gregorius to a 1-year contract.

Gregorius will reunite with skipper Joe Girardi who managed the shortstop for three seasons in New York.

Known as a sure handed gloveman and steady hiiter, Gregorius was lauded for successfully filling the cleats of Yankee legend Derek Jeter after his retirement in 2014.

In five seasons for New York, Gregorius batted .269/.313/.446 he tallied 20 or more home runs three times. His best season came in 2018, when the shortstop hit reached career highs in home runs (27), Runs (89) and OPS (.829) in 134 games.

Gregorius missed a chunk of last season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in Oct. 2018. The shortstop hit .238 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI in 84 games for New York.

A native of Curaçao, Gregorius was knighted after representing the Netherlands in the 2011 World Baseball Cup, which dubbed him the nickname Sir Didi.