The Los Angeles Dodgers roster has undergone plenty of change so far this offseason, with perhaps no move more jarring than Justin Turner agreeing to sign with the Boston Red Sox.
Although Dodgers president of baseball operations identified Turner as a priority for the club in free agency, he was lured away by a two-year contract worth an estimated $22 million. The signing ends Turner’s tenure with the Dodgers after nine remarkable seasons.
Turner’s homecoming began with former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti signing him to a Minor League contract with a non-roster invite to 2014 Spring Training. That came months after the New York Mets non-tendered Turner to make him a free agent.
Following reports of the Southern California native signing with the Red Sox, Colletti recognized and commended Turner and his wife Kourtney for all they accomplished with the Dodgers and off the field.
In his nine seasons with the Dodgers, Turner batted .296/.375/.490 with 235 doubles, 156 home runs and 574 RBI over 1,075 games. Turner overcame a slow start in 2022 to finish with another productive season that included setting a career high with 36 doubles.
Off the field, he and Kourtney continued to provide for those in need through their Justin Turner Foundation. The couple hosted a second annual Turner Trot 5K earlier this year, but held the event in person for the first time. The sold-out race raised more than $300,000 for the foundation to support its beneficiaries.
“The whole experience was actually a little bit different for us than we’ve had for the golf tournament, but I think at the end of the day when you take a look around, everything came out spectacular and we couldn’t be more happy with all the support, all the runners, all the vendors that are out here creating this great experience,” Turner said that day.
The couple’s ongoing charitable efforts earned Turner the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for the first time in his career. Previously, January 22 was declared Justin Turner Day in Los Angeles.
Justin Turner recruited by Red Sox players
After Turner agreed to sign with the Red Sox, it was reported manager Alex Cora and multiple players recruited him for multiple weeks.
Now with the Red Sox, Turner reunites with former Dodgers teammates Kiké Hernandez, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Alex Verdugo.
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