Dodgers Offseason: Fans Choose Between Justin Turner and Nolan Arenado in LA
Anyone paying attention to the offseason trade rumors has heard Rockies’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado’s name tossed around quite a bit as it is well known he is not happy in Colorado. So with Dodgers’ third baseman Justin Turner entering free agency, there has been much speculation as to who may be in and who’s not.
So we wanted to find out, hypothetically of course, if Dodgers fans could pick between JT and Nolan in 2021 and beyond, who would they rather have?
Let's play a game here… you can pick only one, who you going with? #Dodgers
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) November 25, 2020
It seems as though most were surprised that this poll was so close given how much JT is loved in LA. The benefits of having a veteran of his status on the team are incalculable
We shouldn’t trade away our prospects to a Division Rival for a player we don’t “need”. Let’s re-sign Turner and get Edwin Ríos some more opportunities. Dodgers 2021!
— Jürgen West (@JuergenWest) December 1, 2020
While an argument can be made for Nolan with his 8 gold gloves, 2 platinum gloves, and 4 silver sluggers.
Love Turner, but If the goal is to win another World Series then It’s obviously Arenado. Replaces and upgrades turners lost power, adds the best defender in baseball, and youth. Plus he’s from SoCal just like Turner and is hungry. No brainer
— Mar-El (@MANOFSTEEL_79) November 25, 2020
Even though Los Angeles is one of the biggest markets in the league, there are monetary concerns and the future of the franchise to consider.
The thing is this pole is asking the wrong question. How does bringing in Arenado & his huge contract effect their ability to resign Seager (Or another 1 of the SS available after 2021)? The Arenado issue is more him or Seager. JT could still be brought back in a Util/backup role
— Michael Sloniker (@msloniker122217) November 25, 2020
Outside of Coors Field, Arenado hasn’t exactly had a mile high batting average while Turner’s performance in the 2020 World Series was a clinic in awareness on the field and his bat was as steady as we’ve come to expect. Fans may have to come to terms with the fact that he is getting older and may not have many years left whilst Nolan is still in his prime. Whether or not Justin remains in Dodger blue is yet to be seen however, he will always remain a legend in the hearts of fans.
Allll day. pic.twitter.com/UbA30h8ZSG
— Chris Guzman ? (@christopherguz) November 25, 2020
Again, this is purely a hypothetical exercise. In fact, the Arenado-to-LA rumors have seemingly died down with multiple insiders ruling out a trade happening this offseason. At least to the Dodgers. Still, the final results of the poll question are somewhat surprising. Sure, Nolan Arenado is a superstar in the game, but Justin Turner means so much to the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles. The fact that more than half of the 4,500+ votes went to Nolan is definitely surprising but not shocking, considering all the variables involved between the two.
Where do you stand? Let us know in the comments below!
NEXT: Dodgers Writer Identifies Best Fits for Kiké Hernández in Free Agency
Turner, Hands Down! You don’t get rid of the team to keep the team. He is everything there is in baseball.
This is a no brainer. Resign Justin Turner. His clubhouse presence is greater than Arenando’s. He is still on top of his game at the plate. And he actually made some huge defensive plays in the post season. Arenando benefits from Coors; and yeah, his defense is unparalleled; but the potential “outliers” in this conversation are absolutely huge. The trade?? The Rockies would get probably TWO top prospects who could haunt us down the road. Arenando is at the age where decline begins. $30mil. means that other contract issues could be stopped from happening. Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehier, Julio Urias. You don’t sell the future. STAY THE COURSE!
Could not agree more. JT is this Dodgers team icon.. Most important to sign Seaver.
This is a no-brained sign Turner for an incentive laden contract for two years with a team option for the 3rd. By then Hoese, Vargas & other young players should be ready to play.
Re-sign Turner for 2-3 years. Re-evaluate after that time. If he’s still hitting over 300 consistently, sign him again for a year or two. Only shift gears if and when Turner’s production drops significantly. And I don’t care if he hits fewer home runs now. I’ll take the guy who hits 300 and carries it into the postseason. Rallies score more runs than solo shots. And when the pitching gets tough in the postseason, I want guys who can hit.
Look at Turner´s age and injury history. He also hit .250 this postseason, so his glory days have probably come to an end. Kris Bryant is the clear, cheaper choice here.
Nah … His 250 was a big 250.
I really want to see what Rios can do with Turner backing up. In 2022, its going to be Hoese anyway, and he may be the big right-handed bat Friedman is looking for.
Looking further down the road, could trading Lux bring a top young LHP? We only have one in the whole system! Taylor could cover (or bring back Kike) as, once again, 2022 provides the long-term answer in Busch…
Hoes has very little power, in almost 70 games he hit .299 with 5 homeruns. He profiles as another pure hitter. I´d be surprised to see him hit 10 home runs come 2022 or 2023. Rios is more suited as a DH, and even with him improving, his defense was 28th out of 30 3rd baseman. I´d trade Lux for someone like Blake Snell. Taylor will probably be our 2nd baseman come next year(K.K. has been linked to the Twins) and Busch is just trade bait waiting to happen.
Arenando for the long term, but not for 200 million.
Why develop a quality farm system if you are going to blow the future figuring Arenado will keep you in the promised land? Would not his signing cost at least two if three of Bellinger, Buehler and Seager? As several have commented Arenado is not the same hitter on the road as batting in that rarified air of Denver. Another quality starter ( is Price dependable to be a winner?) and another quality reliever with the re-signing of Turner should keep the team ahead of improvements of all other challengers and pseudo challengers
Actually, Arenado would not make the Dodgers poor, and I´m sorry if you think so little of the dodger´s finances. As it stands, Arenado is due to make 32M. The dodgers have 15M in space after the Knebel pickup. The dodgers get 70M off the books next year. That´s 85M. The dodgers can easily afford Arenado and Bellinger and Buehler, with about 15M in space left over. Seager will probably leave, but they can easily get a cheaper shortstop like Javier Baez to replace him. And they can resign Kershaw.
No to Arenado he can’t hit away from Coors field. It is more important to keep our own free agents in the future. Open your eyes people he is not worth what he gets paid. More than Betts is crazy. Don’t do it. Get some bullpen help first. Maby try to get Snell also to help the starting rotation.
In the fifties, the Dodgers had a hard time finding an every day leftfielder who could put up better than average numbers. They tried out numerous players over, maybe half a dozen years but could not settle on any one candidate. Ultimately, they traded for Andy Pafko, then a major star with the Cubs. Prayers answered, or so the Dodgers thought! Wrong!!!
All this to say that JT is a good fit in and out of the clubhouse. I have seen Arenado struggle mightily at times offensively over the last couple of years. If signing NA guaranteed another WS win for the Dodgers I’d say do it! But alas in sports, there are no guarantees. The same thinking applies to Kiké. His versatility and exuberance, a quality largely misunderstood or ignored by management, would be extremely difficult to replace.
Kiki bats 230 so no more Kik.
Stop all the nonsense about arenado period. Stay the course with the youth.
I wouldn’t go near Arenado with his contract. And the Dodgers would have to give up prospects? Hard pass.
Sign JT for fair money for 2021 and 2022, resign Seager, and win two more championships.
I pick Turner for now until Arenado opts out and only costs money. Sign Turner to a one year for a generous amount of money
Don Cato
Turner Wil Not sign for 1yr. He wants more.
Get rid of Kenley Jansen not of Justin Turner. We need a new closer on the DODGERS. Kenley Jansen should leave the Los Angeles Dodgers team for good.
Turner is a part of Dodger folklore but we have to move on and not be sentimental about it. We should not resign him. If we can get Arrenado we do it! He makes us a different team and a better one. Just like Joc gotta say goodbye and thanks for the memories. Turner is not worth the money he seeks.
All Dodger fans love Justin Turner. However, a contract is a two way street. Andrew Friedman will offer JT a lucrative contract. It will be Justin’s decision to accept that contract or sign elsewhere for a team that is willing to give him more money for his services. It remains a business. The good thing is that, probably, Justin will eventually be back with the Dodgers in some capacity.
This is a tough call. JT, although his batting average is lower than Arenados, Arenado, unlike JT, is a terrible clutch hitter. So, would you like a better defender who is a lousy clutch hitter or a declining defender who is a very good clutch hitter. I live in Colorado and follow Arenado closely, and have seen him whiff too many times with runners on base.
Yet, Arenado has averaged 117 RBI´s over the last 5 years, and drives in a lot of runs, in a lineup where, besides, Blackmon and Story, is the weakest in MLB. In our lineup, Arenado could drive in about 130-140 runs.
if turner goes elsewhere, we’d be left with two pups in the infield. lux at 2nd and rios at third. that will never happen. lux showed he’s miles away from a starting job and rios is totally unproven. not a formula for a back to back ws. the arenado proposals are ridiculously expensive and we’d have to give up prospects. i’d offer the moon for lemahieu and keep turner. lemahieu is the best 2nd baseman in the majors, is a free agent, and only costs money. btw, didn’t friedman offer harper $45m/year? turner showed us in the world series that he’s got plenty left in the tank at half the price of arenado. let lux and rios mix in for a year or two to learn how to be major leaguers. that’s my stab at GM.
Keep Justin, if possible and groom a young player in the organization to take his place. Who better to coach a new third baseman than Justin Turner?
I’ve been a Dodger fan since they moved to LA and over those years, getting a big contract player such as Arenado has seldom worked out. Mookie paid off instantly this year, but let’s see how that big contract extension works out. The Dodgers don’t need another one of those with all the talent they have in the farm system.
Justin Turner. Arenado is okay but, Turner is not a key to the championship, he is the driving force behind it. His quiet, lead by example, and great clutch play is a incentive without a price. Turner for 3 years. I believe he is a once in a lifetime phenomenon and will have even better success in closing out his career in Dodgertown.
Keep JT. He is true blue and will help the younger players coming up. Rios will get more opportunities at third and first because Muncey can play both positions too. The DH if the NL gets it is a no brainer to keep JT. He is a community person like Don Newcombe was.
Keep JT…… period
What fools. And you are fans of our Dodgers? I know Arenado is a great ballplayer. But he was not a part of this team in 2020. He will cost significant money for a few years, too. We can probably sign Turner for half of what Arenado would make for the 2-3 good years Turner probably has left, and we KNOW what JT brings to our clubhouse. With Arenado, would he be another Betts? Or a clubhouse cancer, or somewhere in between? We do not know. We do with Turner. I did not just one championship, I still want more. We have 2017 and 2018 to get over, as well. Keep Turner. At least we know what we have with him, and he helped us get to a World Championship. That’s what we all want.
When it comes down to it , the decision ultimately lies wit JT on where he ends up in 2021 and beyond. We can assume, and I know that word has its drawbacks, but Dodgers may also want to retain him in the first place. But that NL DH decision is whats keeping movement rather slow. As far as both Kike and Turner go, if Dodgers can’t sign them for whatever reason . Then Dodgers must replace them with other RHB. I am not too thrilled at seeing a team losing its offensive balance by replacing them with more LHB. I can also guess that one of the reasons why Freidman has said he wants another RHB is in part what we all witnessed what took place with Blake Snell in the WS. Overall performance against good LHP is the part of the game Dodgers probably want to improve on.
Keep JT for 2 more years so he can mentor Rios and continue to be a strong clubhouse leader!
Hold onto Seager and Buehler!!
If JT wants to remain with Dodgers, he will make a mutually agreed upon deal happen
so he can remain at home so to speak.
Yes, hopefully JT will continue to choose to stay with the Dodgers and will come to a mutual agreement as you said. This is very true.
And I’m hoping Seager will also choose to remain with the Dodgers when the time comes, despite having Boras as his agent.
I do love JT, but have always thought we should try to get Arenado. New blood, new boost. He’s still on fire. JT is calm, great in the clutch and beloved. Tough choice. I thought that LA made a mistake trading Howie Kendrick. Who knows how this could go. All in all, I’d like to see Nolan in LA.
Turner all the way. He’s not just a good third baseman, he’s the heart and soul of the Dodgers! The team chemestry is vital and it starts with Turner. Also, we don’t need Arenado and his $30 million-plus salary. That money can go to better use. There is only so much to go around. We have many stars and just won the title. Another reason is that Arenado may start to decline in the middle of his contract and still be getting the big bucks.
Re-sign Turner, develope Rios, Come On! A No-brainer!!
Justin Turner is deserving of 3 years. He has been a great example,clutch hitter and a great leader. He so involved in his community and most all what impresses me is his being involved with veterans and the needy during this time. He truly is needed on our Dodger team.