Justin Turner was not part of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ initial group of free agents when the offseason began, but he has since joined them after having his $16 million team option for 2023 declined.
Turner is coming off another productive season but the decision was widely expected due to the salary. The team could still look to re-sign the soon-to-be 38-year-old for a lower average annual value, which Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated was a priority.
Turner has spent the past nine years with the Dodgers and hopes to finish his career in L.A. He holds multiple team records and is just as important off the field as he is on it.
During a recent appearance on “Petros & Money,” Turner acknowledged he may have to wait for the Dodgers to take care of other roster needs before they offer him a new contract:
“I’m in good standing with the Dodgers. I’ve talked to Andrew Friedman several times, I’ve talked to Dave Roberts several times. Again, it’s a business. They have some decisions to make on what they want to do as far as there’s all this crap about the luxury tax, payroll and paying a gajillion dollars in taxes because the payroll has been high the last few years. So I think they’re figuring out what they need to do and prioritize what’s best for them. Once those chips fall, we’ll see where I stand. So I guess I’ve got to be patient.”
Turner hit .278/.350/.438 with a 123 wRC+ this past season despite a slow start, he and remains one of the better all-around third basemen in baseball.
Off the field, Turner became the third Dodgers player to win the Roberto Clemente Award. It’s presented annually to the player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Justin Turner disagrees with assessment Dodgers didn’t have ‘fun’
The Dodgers set a franchise record with 111 wins during the 2022 season, but one National League scout believes they lacked emotion and went as far as calling them “boring.”
Turner disagreed with that assessment and said it is difficult to have fun during rough stretches, particularly when the offense struggled to score runs.
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