The Toronto Blue Jays have signed veteran infielder Justin Turner to a 1 year, $13M contract the club announced Tuesday. In addition to his base salary, Turner can earn up to $1.5M in additional roster and performance bonuses in 2024 as well.
Although Toronto currently has a hole at 3rd base, initial reports indicate Turner was acquired to be the club’s primary DH. However his ability to play 1B/2B/3B when called upon was also a factor in signing the 39 year old over other power bats such as Jorge Soler or J.D. Martinez.
Turner spent 2023 with the Boston Red Sox where he hit .276 with 86 runs, 96 RBIs, and 23 HRs, before ultimately opting out of his 2 year, $21.7M contract to become a free agent. A 2x All-Star, the Long Beach, CA native brings championship experience to the Jays clubhouse, having captured a World Series title with the Dodgers back in 2020.
Known for his outgoing personality, Turner has drawn rave reviews from coaches and teammates alike across his stints in Boston, LA, Baltimore and with the New York Mets. A favourite of the media due to his candid responses, the right handed bat earned the Roberto Clemente Award for his community involvement back in 2022 as well.
While Toronto has largely missed out on the big names they were linked to this offseason, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto chief among them, they’ve quietly retooled a roster that won 89 games in 2023. Bringing back OF Kevin Kiermaier, signing utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and now bringing in Turner add depth to a strong offensive roster.
However Toronto shouldn’t be out of the free agent market altogether following their latest signing. Upgrading their everyday 3rd base spot would still be a “nice to have” on GM Ross Atkins shopping list. And although they’ve added Cuban right hander Yariel Rodriguez to their bullpen, one cannot rule out the possibility of sprinkling in another arm this offseason to the Jays mix.
As currently constructed, the Jays likely have a higher floor for the season, but their ceiling hasn’t been raised in the way the front office would have liked given the game changing names they were previously targeting. Instead, they may be forced to lean on the likes of an in house option such as LHP prospect Ricky Tiedemann, infielder Orelvis Martinez, or banking on breakout star Davis Schneider being able to replicate his 2023 success.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.