The Boston Red Sox have signed third baseman Justin Turner to a 2 year, $22M contract.
The 38 year old is likely to slot in as the Red Sox designated hitter after JD Martinez left in free agency, as Boston already has Rafael Devers manning the hot corner.
Turner spent the last 9 years with the Dodgers, where he was twice named an All-Star, and won the World Series in 2020. A career .289 hitter, Turner’s right handed bat is an ideal fit for the confines of Fenway Park.
In 128 games with LA last year, Turner hit .278/.350/.438 with 13HRs, and 81RBIs. Rather than pick up his $16M contract for 2023, the Dodgers opted instead to buy out the final year for $2M and ink JD Martinez instead.
After finishing last in the AL East, Boston’s roster looks drastically different from the one that won the World Series in 2018, though not all of that was by choice.
In the span of only a few years, Boston has now lost franchise icons Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, much to the chagrin of the Red Sox faithful. Making matters worse, Devers is also able to walk following the 2023 season, with reports that negotiations aren’t progressing well between the club and their star 3rd baseman’s camp.
The Betts deal once again made headlines this week after the club DFA’d former top prospect Jeter Downs, who was supposed to be the centrepiece of the trade for Boston.
While the front office has reshaped the team’s bullpen by bringing in relievers Kenley Jansen, Joely Rodriguez, and Chris Martin, fans will mostly remember this offseason as the one where the club allowed Bogaerts to walk in free agency.
In his place, Chaim Bloom & Co. have added Turner and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida, however the club’s lineup still has glaring holes heading into 2023. Most notably at 2nd base and their starting pitching.
With Chris Sale’s future in flux, the club is currently projected to work with a rotation of Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Brayan Bello. While their bullpen is much improved, their lack of starting pitching, and uneven lineup could make for another long year in Beantown.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Arturo Pardavila III. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.