Dodgers: Justin Turner Signs With Red Sox
Justin Turner’s time in Los Angeles has come to an end.
According to ESPN staff writer Joon Lee, JT will sign with the Boston Red Sox for a two-year $22 million deal.
Third baseman Justin Turner and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a contract, sources tell me and @JeffPassan
Turner, 38, is expected to spend most of his time at designated hitter or first base, with Rafael Devers at third. Turner had been a Dodger for the last nine years
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) December 18, 2022
Justin Turner's deal with the Boston Red Sox is for two years and just shy of $22 million, and it includes an opt-out after the first season, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/9kAFqqX6ay
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 18, 2022
The addition of J.D. Martinez on Saturday night made it evident that they’ll be moving on from Turner.
Turner spent a lot of his time at the D.H. spot, 62 games to be exact, while he played in 66 games at third base in 2022. With the addition of J.D. Martinez, who spent all of his 139 games at D.H. in 2022, it was only a matter of time before Justin moved on.
Martinez signed a one-year deal worth $10 million. He was an All-Star in 2022 and batted .274 in 533 ABs.
Turner is 37 years old and can no longer handle the everyday grind at third base anymore. Justin struggled in the past couple of postseasons for the Dodgers, while J.D. has a postseason OPS of .987 in 109 ABs.
The redhead will join former Dodgers Kike Hernandez and Kenley Jansen in Beantown, who inked himself a new deal with the Red Sox this offseason.
A ‘Thank You’ will never be enough for what Justin Turner has done for the Dodgers organization and the city of Los Angeles.
Although he didn’t start his career with L.A., he thrived so much in this city and was crucial to building what they were trying to accomplish.
We will miss JT, and he will be severely missed.
Thank you for everything, 10. Good luck.
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Never should have let him go! He is the face of the Dodgers! True blue and a future manager!
Agreed! Sad day. Another decision based on analytics Im sure lol
I remember when he started with the Dodgers. Came in like a house on fire and hit .340 his first full year with the team. A solid if unremarkable third baseman but he always seemed to make an impact. A ready smile and he always seemed like a good guy.
Sorry to see him leave, I wish him well in Boston along with Kike and Kenley but hope to see him back sometime, perhaps as the long rumored successor to Roberts. Tip of the hat to the redbeard!
Wish him nothing but the best. Hope he retires a Dodger. Do they do one day contracts like the NFL then retirre @fterwards…? Anybody know..?
I agree, when this 2 year contract is over I truly hope they sign him for one last hurrah and he retires a Dodger and he is given a position with the club with an eye on being the next manager of the Dodgers. Declining skills or not, he is still productive and it is going to be sad not seeing JT in Dodger Blue this coming season.
Yes sad to see him go. He should be a Dodger for life. I remember when he was first called up. He was one of the hardest working players in spring training. Just what the Dodgers needed at the time. Wish him the best and hope he’ll be back with the Dodgers in some manner maybe as the manager.
I may have to go with another team after50= years. Tuner was the heart and sole of the team
No one is a bigger defender of Friedman than me but this is a bad mistake. Forcing your team leader – at a time when you’re counting on untested youth – to walk for a marginal offensive upgrade and negligible salary is a terrible statement to make to the team and community.
I commend Friedman for thinking with his head and not his heart on this. Turner is going backwards while Martinez will be that clutch hitter JT used to be. The Dodgers ( Besides the bone head decisions by roberts) lost the Padres series primarily due to Turner slumping and failing AB’s in crucial parts of the games. He’s been a great Dodger and wish him luck.
We also lost the Padres series from Will Smith in the cleanup spot doing absolutely nothing after the 1st game. How many times did Will come up to bat with the bases loaded or runners in scoring position and doing NOTHING.
JT has regressed this past couple years especially in the postseason where his skills haven’t kept up for the duration of the season. Management probably felt it was time to move in a new direction. He was paid well for his service as a part time player. He probably was asking for more than what the braintrusts felt he was currently valued at. This at times is a crude business but personal feelings cannot get in the way. I think the Dodgers are preparing themselves for Ohtani by freeing some money now and not spending big, like other organizations.
By your logic, then the Dodgers should have gotten rid of Kershaw years ago, after he had so many bad playoffs. Right?
It’s a shame that JT is going away but it is still a business. Kershaw has always been a reliable starter, not quite the pitcher he was ten years ago (they are rare) but a top five among the Dodger pitchers. I don’t understand why JT should be the manager of the Dodgers some day. Perhaps he will be, but just because he is the “face” of the Dodgers does not mean that he will be the next great leader. It is a tough decision to name a manager. Btw, is Jim Leyland still available? Also, to continue my rant, why do fans assume that Ohtani will be a Dodger next year? There are so many factors involved in securing Ohtani.
I understand what you’re saying about the Ohtani thing, but at least the Dodgers are getting into position for the bidding wars against those that already spent big. It’s like for us to pay off your car loan to buy a house. Btw, I agree with you on Kershaw’s status and why are fans campaigning JT for manager…huh?
good luck, JT! BEAT THE TRASHTROS!!!!!!!!
While I like many others will miss JT, I applaud the dodgers for not re-signing him (and bellinger) . This team certainly needs a good shake up. I predicted last year that between Bellinger & JT, either of them would not be re-signed for 2023. This team was amazing during the last several years, by winning the west and going to the playoffs each year. When it came to getting to or winning the world series, we were a huge failure. The group of guys we had could not get the job done, except in that short season. We needed to make changes to this team.
I wish we had signed some studs during this off season. But seeing how crazy every top players contracts were, it was probably a good thing we did not get into bidding wars for 10-13 year contracts that are insane. Do I think in 2023 that we have the best team in all of baseball right now? The answer to that is no we dont. The Padres have really improved their team, and they get Tatis back. I believe that we might be a wild card team in 2023 and watch SD win the division. They have a much deeper lineup, and a stud for a closer. And now they get Bogarts and Tatis. Hopefully my predictions are not correct. But the off season still has a couple more months to go, and who knows what might happen. Maybe we make a trade for a shortstop, or find a center fielder. We shall see. And it makes me salivate, to see what happens in 2024 when it comes to a certain pitcher for the Angels that might be a free agent. Lots more drama to come. Lets just hope and pray that LA can make some moves to improve the team and get us some world series victories going forward.
Yes! The Dodgers should have made sure that Justin Turner retired a Dodger!
My heart is broken… I feel blindsided and gut punched by the decision not to bring Justin back. JT brought soooo much class to LAD, on and off the field, and to the city of LA. He’s a giver not a taker. He has always played his guts out for LAD. I keep reading he didn’t hit in the play-offs. Hell, NO Dodger hit in the playoffs. Sometimes, money isn’t everything. Loyalty deserves loyalty. THIS release should not have happened, in my opinion.
I have been a Dodger fan since 1954. I am now done with the Dodgers! Done!
I’ve been a Dodger since Reese played shortstop. Stuck with em thru Pedro Martinez, Mike Piazza, Adrian Beltre, and Corey Seager…..but losing Bellinger and now J.T….that just about cuts it. My heart is on the ground but I am switching to the Rangers. Adios
You my friend are not the only one here who has followed this team since Reese. I for one will NEVER be anything but a Dodger fan. Yeah we lost players over the years, but all teams do. The Blue will be back this coming season and will put a strong and contending team on the field. Read Wayne Riddle’s comments below. Time to move on to some of the young studs we have coming up. They all need a chance to become the next great Dodger.
Truth be told, we still have one off the highest payrolls in baseball. Now, I didn’t like to see Bellinger or Turner go. Bellinger may have a big year at Wrigley. Left handed pull hitter with no shift? Think Billy Williams. I saw McCovey crack one there. Anthony Rizzo? The wind blows out to right. Cody will get fixed. And then get a huge contract. Which we would have to outbid everyone for. JT is still serviceable; but starting to fade a bit. But it is a perfect time to let the kids play. Pages, Vargas, Outman. And Busch? These guys could be the real deal neal. We need to reset the payroll anyway. My prediction is it least one of those guys gets ROY votes. But what if two of them do? Give the kids a shot.
NO…you’re comparing apples to oranges. A 3-time Cy Young winner, an MVP award, a 5-time ERA winner, a Gold Glove and future 1st ballot HOF’er gets a pass over a journeyman player who suppose to support the pitcher.
No….you’re comparing apples to oranges. A 3-Time Cy Young winner, a MVP Award, 5-time ERA winner, a Gold Glover, and a future HOF’er gets a pass.