Jan. 31: Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports the breakdown of Turner’s incentive package. He’ll unlock $125K bonuses for reaching 500, 525, 550 and 575 plate appearances, plus another $250K for reaching each of 600, 625 and 650 plate appearances. Turner also secures a $150K bonus for reaching 120 days on the active roster and another $100K for spending 150 days on the active roster.
Jan. 30: The Blue Jays will have a new designated hitter for the 2024 season, announcing they’ve signed free agent Justin Turner to a one-year contract. It is reportedly a $13MM deal with The Vayner Sports client, who can earn an additional $1.5MM based on both roster bonuses and performance incentives, taking his deal to a maximum of $14.5MM.
Turner turned 39 years old in November but certainly wasn’t showing any signs of his age in 2023, when he slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs, 31 doubles, an 8.1% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate in 146 games and 626 plate appearances with the Red Sox.
By measure of wRC+, Turner was about 14% better than league-average at the plate — his incredible tenth consecutive season being at least 14% above par with the bat. He was one of the top remaining corner infield and designated hitter options and will install a “professional hitter” into the Toronto lineup — one who is generally revered for his leadership and clubhouse presence as well.
The consistency Turner brings to the plate is rather remarkable. He hasn’t batted lower than .275, posted an OBP under .339, slugged less than .438 or struck out in more than 18% of his plate appearances in any of the past ten seasons since establishing himself as a regular with the Dodgers in 2014. Overall, he’s a .293/.371/.486 hitter in that time. He’s averaged 24 home runs and 35 doubles per 162 games played over that decade-long span.
Turner’s contract with the Red Sox was a two-year, $22.7MM contract, the second season of which was a player option. He took home an $8.3MM salary in 2023 and also received a $6.7MM buyout on the option when he turned it down to return to the open market. Turner is guaranteed less on this new contract than he was a year ago, although with incentives he’ll be able to nearly match the $15MM he ultimately received for his lone year in Boston. And, given that the player option was a net $7.7MM call for him, he still clearly came out ahead in his decision to decline his player option.
With the Jays, Turner figures to serve as their primary designated hitter but can also split time at the hot corner with fellow free agent signee Isiah Kiner-Falefa (or another yet-to-be-made acquisition). He’s also logged 527 career innings at first base, including 289 last year in Boston, making him a viable option to spell Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when he needs a breather as well.
If there’s one drawback to the match between the two parties, from the team’s vantage point, it’s that Turner adds another right-handed bat to a lineup that already skews heavily toward that side of the plate. He’s effectively replacing the left-handed-hitting Brandon Belt, who notably remains unsigned and had a strong year at the plate for the Jays in 2023 in a heavily platooned role.
As it stands, left fielder Daulton Varsho, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and infielder Cavan Biggio are the only lefties projected in the Toronto lineup. No one from that group is an especially formidable lefty presence, and all are best served in a platoon arrangement. Turner has slightly better career numbers against righties than lefties, which helps to mitigate some of the concern, but the Jays could still struggle against premium right-handed pitchers at times, given their lack of balance in the lineup.
Thus far, Turner marks the biggest upgrade to the Toronto lineup of the offseason. The Jays made a spirited run at Shohei Ohtani and also met with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but both players wound up signing with the Dodgers. The Jays were also said to have strong interest in lefty-swinging Joc Pederson before he inked a comparable deal to Turner’s with the D-backs.
The Jays have been tied to a number of bat-first players over the past month, talking to representatives for free agent sluggers like J.D. Martinez, Jorge Soler, Rhys Hoskins and Pederson. Their interest to Turner dates back to at least mid-December, and now that it’s manifested in a deal, the Jays are presumably out of the running for yet-unsigned DH options like Martinez and Soler. Turner joins Kiner-Falefa, Kiermaier and now-former NPB righty-hander Yariel Rodriguez as notable free agent pickups for the Jays so far in the 2023-24 offseason.
The addition of Turner should push the Blue Jays firmly into luxury tax territory. Toronto had a bottom-line payroll of $228MM before agreeing to terms with Turner, per Roster Resource, and the Jays were already slightly north of $237MM luxury barrier. Turner will move both numbers forward by $13MM. Since the Jays are a second-time payor of the tax, their penalty will be rather light: a simple 30% tax on the first $20MM by which they exceed the threshold and another 42% tax for the next $20MM, if further additions are forthcoming.
With regard to the Turner signing, they’ll end up paying $3.9MM in luxury penalties, which clearly wasn’t a significant deterrent for them. The $240MM Opening Day payroll for which the Jays are now projected stands as a franchise-record by a magnitude of $30MM — topping last the $210MM high-water mark previously established just last year.
Looking ahead, it still seems possible there are further moves to be made for the Jays, who currently project to divide playing time at second base and third base among Biggio, Kiner-Falefa, Davis Schneider and Santiago Espinal. Schneider, in particular, had an intriguing 2023 debut when he hit .276/.404/.603 — but that was a tiny sample of 141 plate appearances and came with a .369 BABIP in addition to a 30.5% strikeout rate. Some regression should surely be expected. Kiner-Falefa is best known for his defensive versatility and is a better utility option than everyday player. Biggio had a solid 2023 showing at the dish but has never come close to replicating his 2019-20 numbers. Espinal is coming off a career-worst .248/.310/.335 performance.
In the rotation, Toronto is still facing some uncertainty at the back end of the group. Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and a resurgent Jose Berrios form a strong top three, but Yusei Kikuchi has lacked consistency on a year-to-year basis and Alek Manoah struggled through a catastrophic season on the mound. The aforementioned Rodriguez could eventually be a rotation option, but that’s more likely in 2025, as he’ll be on a strict innings count this season. Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann could debut in 2024 as well but thus far has just four innings above the Double-A level.
The Blue Jays have been tied to several high-profile and still-unsigned names — Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell and Matt Chapman among them. Re-signing Chapman is a cleaner fit from a roster construction standpoint, as Toronto has Varsho, Kiermaier and George Springer across the outfield and now Turner at designated hitter, making a rotation including the DH spot more difficult. Adding another bat and/or rotation piece would help to lessen the sting of missing out on top targets earlier in the winter, though it remains unclear how much more ownership is willing to spend after already soaring past the franchise’s prior spending levels.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network first reported that the agreement and the terms.
Does this mean Chapman to the cubs??
SF, I’m guessing
Japan.
Lord – I think this means Duvall is even more likely to come back to the Red Sox, especially with Hicks signing with the Angels.
I’m guessing the Sox will sign either Duvall or Soler, whomever is cheaper … and Duvall will likely be cheaper.
Either or
Sox can’t match a one year deal? Why any one cares about Duvall at this point other than to take up a roster spot is beyond me. What’s going on here, dude was taken out mid game and applauded at the end of the year and Boston can’t scrounge together 13 mil? Cheapskates. I’m not going to boycott anything but I call it as I see it. Plus I live out west in Cali, so I have to pay for something, it’s required.
I don’t blame Breslow. Yet. The blame rests on the owners, as most people have pointed out. But it’s true the Red Sox could easily have re-signed Justin.
No throttle.
The Sox signed him for two years. It was Turner who decided to walk away. He would have earned nearly $15m if he had stayed with the Sox.
Why would the sox pay near 15 million for a 40 year old guy that would be relegated to dh with thier now stated commitment to thier younger position players?
He would have only earned just under 8 million more to stay. His opt out came with a 6.7 million dollar buy out. It was known all along that he would decline year 2. The Sox should have resigned him only if they see Yoshida as an outfielder.
As much as Turner said he loved it in Boston, he’s 39 years old and wants to go out a winner. I can’t blame him for that, but the Red Sox qualifying/option offer was what he just signed for to go to Toronto. Oh well. Duvall’s numbers were just as good or better based on the games he played in. He’ll come cheaper and play the outfield too. Better deal in my opinion.
I’m not trying to defend Henry and Company here, but over the years they have spent a lot of money on players that never panned out (Crawford, Sandoval, Hanley, Price, even Sale the last three years, etc.). And the jury’s still out on Story. Does that mean they should never sign a big time free agent again? No. One thing doesn’t have anything to do with the present time. However, the Red Sox probably have been burned more than any other MLB team in recent history in this critical area. Sure, both Duvall and Turner worked out last year. But they were one year contracts. Because of that I guess we’re going to have to get used to only signing players on short term deals for awhile.
This has nothing to do with winning. He is looking for one last bag. The BJs gave it to him. I’m sure he isn’t thrilled about living in Canada for 6 months. But ya gotta do what you gotta do for that bag.
And what’s wrong with living in Canada? I’ve been here all my life — which is a long one and doing well. Careful what you say.
Cause they just did it last year. Lol! Commitment to goin’ cheap I guess.
Bad take. It’s a smaller bag than he got last year. And Toronto is warmer climate than Boston. Froze my nuts off when I was living in Boston.
Wolf – The difference in latitude between Toronto and Boston is the same as your I.Q.
Y’all are a little sensitive about living in the Frozen Tundra. I usually lead in that I am from the Bronx, and enjoy the retorts.
Take it easy. You’ll get a new owner in 10 or 15 years (see Mets/Orioles) and then you’ll be competitive again. In the meantime, sit back and watch the Yanks win.
drty – If you’re required to pay for something, it must mean you work for a living ;O)
I have mixed feelings about Turner. I love the guy, but that’s a lot of money for someone who will be 40 this year and had big declines for 5 consecutive years until last season. He also ended the season really bad, primarily due to an injury.
If the Sox had a budget in line with their revenue, then I’d take the risk with Turner. But with a small budget, better to go with Duvall or Soler.
avenger – Please read the above column.
Turner is earning $19.7M by NOT playing with the Red Sox.
JDK – Do you mean Qualifying Offer? if so, the Red Sox didn’t offer it because Turner is no longer eligible to receive it.
JDK – You could be right about the Red Sox being burned the most over the past decade. Sale gave the Red Sox virtually nothing for his entire 5-year contract extension.
And you should have also mentioned Dice-K and Rusney, two more monumental wastes of money.
Sox ownership invested heavily into other endeavors (soccer, racing, the Boston Globe being the heaviest).Then the pandemic. Since them, they’ll take only waiver-wire pickups. J. Henry needs to sell the Sox to someone not so cash-strapped. Sooner is better
Turner can still rake at the plate, but your point is well-made.
Yeah again New York city is just as much of a frozen tundra as Toronto. The sensitivity comes from dealing with stupid comments all the time mixed with incredulous sympathy that these posters have to go through life with so few brain cells.
I had one of my co-workers ask me if it was safe to park her car near the church when I got married. I could’ve taken it as an insult, but I was more like “I don’t know, no one ever tried to park there’.
If the Sox had a budget in line with their revenue, then I’d take the risk with Turner
=======================
Small market team issues But even though I like JT, he’s old and DH is not our priority. Sign pitching and rotate the DH.
Umm, the Yanks aren’t even a top three divisional team.
Hopefully not, but instead Bellinger to the Cubs.
Or Chapman and Bellinger?
or neither.
Boras is playing it down to the wire with several of his clients again this year. At this point I don’t see another realistic landing point for Bellinger aside from CHC, and Chapman in SF. Who would even be bidding against either team at this point?
The four remaining FA’s in the top 10 are all Boras clients,
2) Bellinger
4) Snell
6) Montgomery
7) Chapman
It’s going to be interesting to see who blinks first.
He has to decide which market between Chapman and Bellinger won’t crater by having the other guy sign
I have to say that yes the boras guys are tge guys that get the most money but a boras guy also seems to be left out in the xols the past few years. I think he may have shot himself in the foot this year. I believe SF amd the cubs arw clearly the teams offering big money long term contracts so they could even lower the deals now. Chappy and Belly either hqve to tale long term deals under ot pillow 2 year with opt outa after 1
Yes and there is very limited money available. A lot of teams that would have been favourites to sign his clients are already pushing the tax levels. I’m hoping Boras gets spanked by MLB teams this year and players think twice about signing with him in the future. Boras is bad for baseball . Fans hope that players get as much money as they can in free agency because the salaries have been so limited in the players early years but the fans are the ones that are paying these salaries. The system is broken.
br
“the fans are the ones that are paying these salaries. ”
Nope. The owners pay the salaries. Let them pay as much as possible to the players
Salaries wouldn’t be high if fans didn’t spend so much money on baseball. The players deserve every penny
filiNope- The teams know they can jack up pricing on tix and beer and food and parking and adverting and shirts and everything and the fans will pay it. The fans are paying these players salaries.
bullred
“The teams know they can jack up pricing on tix and beer and food and parking and adverting and shirts and everything and the fans will pay it.”
Nope
That’s a dumb argument made by someone who has know understanding of finance.
You really think teams can just raise their prices and make more and more money?
Ok. So, why are prices as low as they are? Why aren’t tickets twice as much? Or 5 times as much? Or 100 times as much?
You specialize in finance and don’t understand they are raising prices? Every team has raised their prices even the smaller market teams. Your a lost cause, I’m out!
I think the Jays may do a trade now. I thought they might just sign Chapman back. But with JT and IKF I don’t believe there’s any chance of that. I feel a trade of Espinal for some depth move is probably next.
br
“You specialize in finance and don’t understand they are raising prices? Every team has raised their prices even the smaller market teams. Your a lost cause, I’m out!”
I certainly do not consider myself to specialize in finance, I do, though, at least understand some basic concepts unlike way too many commenters here.
Yes, things tend to get more expensive. Maybe talk to your grandfather about how much he paid for his first house,
But inflation is different than teams jacking up prices and fans paying for it.
The MOST BASIC economic principle is supply and demand. Maybe you’ve heard of it. I’m going to give you a chance ro learn it.
When demand is greater than supply, people will be willing to pay more for a product or service – because it is scarce. Because people are willing to pay, suppliers have an incentive to produce more,
This continues until equilibrium is reached, at this point supply and demand are equal. The price stabilizes
If more of the good or service become available, the price starts to go down. The market is over saturatesd. There is more of a good available than people want to buy. The price goes down, so there are fewer producers.
In a nut shell
So, teams can’t just jack up prices to pay for a big contract. Mif prices get too high, demand will go down – people won’t buy the tickets. The team will make less money, not more.
Teams are already charging as much as they can for tickets. Why wouldn’t they? If they lower prices, they’ll earn less money. If they raise prices, they will earn less money. Billionaires don’t get to be billionaires by earning less money. They are constantly trying to extract every cent from you that they can, regardless of how much they are spending on players.
They don’t want to spend on players not because they don’t want to raise money on the poor (double entendre fully intended) fans, but because the more they pay players the less money they get to keep for themselves.
bullred
Every team has raised their prices even the smaller market teams.
===========================
It is not that linear.
First off, the NYY charge me $13 for a beer because they know I will pay that $13. But they know I won’t pay $20. That dynamic won’t change whether they extend Soto or not.
Secondly, teams will charge more if they are more successful. This is the same for every business. If your local diner brings in world-famous chef Joe Brady, they might add $1 to your scrambled eggs. That is exactly how capitalism works.
And this works for the fans as well as the owners. There are probably a lot of Ranger fans out there pretty happy with their team’s spending. And if the tickets go up 10%, they’d probably be happier paying $55 for a WS team than $50 for a .450 team.
Joe – Great post as always!
The problem occurs when the team continues to charge a premium price for a product that is no longer premium.
THAT is a big reason why Sox fans are so angry. Red Sox ownership deceived us and lied to us. They told us they would be putting a premium product on the field, sold a lot of tickets at premium prices, then finally admitted they were not going to put a premium product on the field. It’s crappy all around.
It’s crappy all around.
========================
That’s one way of putting.
Another way of putting it is that it is borderline fraud. I don’t think you’d win, but it is not unreasonable to make a case that you bought tickets because you thought “full throttle” meant more spending, not less spending..
Not so much that you would get damages, but it is enough of a misrepresentation to warrant a refund. I mean, if you purchased a cruise on a completely refurbished ship, and they hadn’t spent a dime, that’s quite a bit more than just a marketing ploy.
No, he signs a pillow contract with the Orioles
Don’t you have many infielders already?
Boras wouldn’t let him sign a pillow contract with that park’s new configuration.
Please no. We don’t need another past-prime veteran blocking our glut of IF prospects.
Baltimore is not where RHH go to boost their numbers anymore.
@aaronharper
Chapman isn’t signing with an MLB team. Too expensive and declining skillset.
OY
Wanna bet, troll?
Loser deactivates their account
Put your money where your mouth is, troll.
@filihok
You seem to be the troll, given that you’re so focused on replying to my posts with nonsense. Thanks for coming out!
@filihok
If he lowers his asking price, sure, he’ll sign but at the moment, the price is too high. We won’t see these guys sign until they drop their price. Look what happened to Correa. He thought he was getting a massive bag and ended up having to accept a lower price just to play. Hilarious! These guys overvalue themselves on the open market and are now paying for it.
Saying one of the best defensive 3B in the game isn’t going to sign with an MLB team is nonsense lol
RE: Bob S
Right?
Comments like OY’s are what happens when someone can’t get any attention for saying something smart, so they have to say the dumbest thing possible to get someone to engage with them.
OY
:If he lowers his asking price, sure, he’ll sign:
LOL
So obvious. YOU don’t even believe the dumb stuff you say, Troll
@Old York- That’s just how negotiating works. I’m sure Correa knew he’d never get $350M, just like I’m sure Snell knows he won’t get $270M and Chapman knows he won’t get $200M. They always “settle” because one party always has to lower their demand in order to meet at an acceptable number. That’s how it works in every type of business, not just sports.
ma2
I’ll have you know, you are talking to an economics master in OY. He cracked the code and figured out that if businesses need more money to cover increased costs they can just raise their prices.
If every business just listened to him, none would ever go out of business
He’s not even that special defensively, given he’s 27th in dWAR for 3B men based on JAWS. Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado & Evan Longoria all have higher dWAR for their careers. Plus, he’s fallen off a cliff in terms of his younger years of defense. Since 2020, he’s put up a dWAR of 3.9 total, compared to his 2019 year where he put up 3.3 dWAR and 2018 year of 2.9 dWAR. He’s just not the same guy anymore on the defensive side so to suggest he’s one of the best defensive 3B in the game is a bit of a stretch. Given the declining defensive skills and the lack of bat, I just don’t see how the guy gets a massive contract unless some team is going to overpay for the fun of it.
You saying “he’s not going to sign with an MLB team” and “he’s not going to get a massively paid” are 2 vastly different things lol
Yea i agree. I didnt want him to re up with the jays butbhe has 25+ HR power and the best glove so he is well worth 20M a year over 4-6 years
I’d be good with a 1 year deal for Chapman to try to gain value. Odds are he’d be pushing hard if he did that after the dead winter he had so far.
That’s an all-time statistic, so trying to frame it as a negative for Chapman is nonsense. Machado, Longoria, and Arenado have all played basically double the number of games. Chapman hasn’t even reached 900 yet while Machado is nearing 1600, Arenado is over 1500, and Longo has played almost 2000.
Btw, in the past year alone, Fangraphs had him rated 7th at Fielding Runs Above Average and 6th by Defensive Fielding Adjustment.
@myaccount2
We’ll see. I know I’m right.
9Y
Are you right about Chapmam not signing an MLB deal?
Put up or quit trolling, troll.
He showed up the manager , mlb teams don’t like that combined with declining skill set , no wonder he’s not getting any action.
Thank goodness it should mean that Chapman’s days as a Blue Jay are over!!!
I hope so. Great for the Cubs or SF.
Cubs and Giants should each get one out of Belli, Chapman and Soler.
Duvall to the Padres.
There’s the Blue Jays big move!
I wouldn’t have minded Turner on the Cubs as a DH/1B part time 3B on a one-year deal. Much better option over Chapman in my opinion…
Turner checked a lot of boxes for the cubs.
If he had anything left in the tank as a third basement, he’d be a Cub imo.
I agree probably not an everyday third baseman but a nice compliment and insurance to Busch and Morel plus he’s not blocking anyone.
Cubs are my favorite team and Justin Turner is one of my favorite players. But I just don’t see a match. Morel is the DH unless he is traded. Cubs need someone who can play on the field at CF or 3B. Turner would be just as bad at 3B as Morel. Chapman would be awesome but not at more than two years.
I think Cubs should sign Belli even if it is 6 years and $180 million with opt-outs at 2, 4 and 6 years. In two years, PCA or another prospect will be ready to take over CF so I would prefer Belli for four years with an opt-out after every year. Normally, I hate opt-outs because you get stuck with trash and lose treasure, but in this rare instance, it would be good for Cubs. If I owned Cubs. I would offer Belli two years at $70 million with an opt-out after one year, because I would rather pay more and have a shorter contract.
I am hopeful that the Justin Turner signing takes Blue Jays out of the Belli sweepstakes. I think it is down to Cubs, Angels and Giants.
This one…That’s what I was thinking. After all their efforts to sign a big FA, they finally got one! And I don’t think him being a RHH is going to matter. If you’re good, you can hit anybody.
well, at least justin turner’s plane is going to land..
Don’t count your chickens yet, Justin Turner might still be at the airport!
He has a well-publicized fear of flying…
How does he travel with the team for road trips? Does he drive?
Lots of alcohol…Thats how I fly, I hate it.
My brother hates it too. He’s been listening to podcasts on the subject of fears. And flying was one of the topics. He still hates it but a few times a year he has to fly out of state for his job. Roadtrips witb 3 kids and one on the way can be pretty expensive.
Yeah, when someone else says it maybe I’ll buy it.
Morosi is dead to us
– Canada
Yeah, this needs another source, Morosi screwed up the last time he got word of a player on a plane to Toronto…
I think Morosi messing up big before, means he wouldn’t do this again to Jays fans. So I believe him
Morosi is good 95% of the time, but when it comes to the biggest transactions, he becomes a fanboy and reports rumors, not facts.
His numbers late last year were possibly suppressed by a lingering heel injury that he played through. Would want his bat on my team
He’ll be about as good as Belt was for us last year
He’ll be better. He doesn’t have to be platooned and can play multiple defensive positions. And much, much better contact hitter. He is an upgrade.
this
The jays really need a platoon/4th OF now that can really handle LHP and has some power
Chapman to SF
If this deal happens, I think it’s a spectacular addition for Toronto.
Turner is defying age at this point, he’s got the benefit of the doubt until he proves otherwise.
I think he takes steroids
Nah, he’s a late bloomer, he doesn’t have as much mileage as other players in his age group.
So he used to take steroids?
Imagine if he broke out in his 20s the way he did at 30. Better late than never, but at this point he’s a solid dude to have for anyone, and I hope he continues to mash into his 40s.
Raul Ibanez redux
I like irony.
This will certainly help, but i think they are still one bat short. I hope they prove me wrong.
Solid move for TOR. Looks like reports of NYM staying internal for DH are accurate. Well – if Vientos starts poorly, Mr Stearns will get crushed by fans and media. Of course if Vientos succeeds he looks like a genius
Vientos has more upside than Turner. It’s a smarter long term decision then worrying about what happens in April.
Especially in this “transitional” year.
Dude OPSd about 1.000 in AAA last year.
I suspect most Mets fans are on board with letting the youngsters play as much as possible this year. We’d hate to see the Mets trade Vientos, Baty and/or Mauricio and watch them become stars elsewhere.
Is COVID still delaying the release of that Blue Jays movie, or has production been shut down for extensive reshoots again?
my prediction:
1 year at $14M or 2 years, $24M
I think I would rather have Chapman just for his defence
I guess the deal IK-F now makes more sense
Turner certainly isn’t going to be playing third. He may gets some reps at first base but primarily a DH. Good pick up by the Jays,
Obviously I am not a Mets fan but who is their DH. Mets can have Stanton for a dozen hot dogs. Mets should sign JD
Mark Vientos will DH a lot. His OPS in high minors last 3 years has been .877 up to .999. No reason to bring an almost 40 year old when the young player has more upside.
Teams usually go with more of a sure thing but sure he can do it. Wishing players were good in the majors has never failed before.
Sure but many have succeeded and everyone needed a chance. Every team goes with young players every year and not a one has veterans in every spot in their lineup.
I’m guessing there’s no way they plan for him to play 3B regularly at this stage. Maybe more a replacement for Belt at DH. Still looking at Chapman?
being a mets fan.. I can’t control my laughing at this point. every person is of interest… every person is substantial talk… every person signs elsewhere… this is definitely embarrassing. what an off-season.
Boston exercised a buyout option for $6,700,000 for ’24 so they paid $15 million for last season.
A solid pro, I wonder about the age-related cliff-edge with a guy like this. Because of that, I would rather see them COMMIT to Bo than sign a dinosaur
kodion – Yes, it was another dumb contract given out by Bloom. That’s why he’s no longer a POBO.
Interesting. Most of the BJ fans seem happy with the signing. Is this one of those rare examples where the same guy is a bad signing for us, but a good signing for the Jays?
No such thing as a bad one year contract.
Probably
Has potential to be a great move. When healthy he is one of the best hitters it the league. I’ve always been a big fan of his. I’m a little concerned about how banged up he was by the end of last year though. Hopefully that heel problem doesn’t carry over into this year. I think that heel injury was the reason he really struggled down the stretch.
His ability to play 3B from time to time will be quite handy. I doubt he up to playing there on an everyday basis though.
I still think they need a other bat though. They should really try to sign Bellinger.
KK has not played in 100 games in back to back seasons since he was 25/26 years old. I’m sure he will miss between 60-80 games that Bellinger could play the OF (even if he doesn’t get hurt they could just manage his workload to keep him productive). Turner could open up the DH spot for one of the OF by playing 3B 50-60 games. Springer and Vlad could both use some rest days as well. There are definitely ways Bellinger could get his ABs. Then next year KK is gone and Bellinger plays the OF full time.
If they pulled that off I would actually feel really good about this offseason, which was looking pretty bleak up until now.
I would hope the Jays could get Chapman at a more reasonable price for a shorter term. I really want Varsho to take center next year.
Varsho could still do that with Bellinger. Just move Bellinger to RF or LF.
Chaim Breslow might want to start doing something at some point this off-season
He has, he’s been trimming payroll as mandated by ownership…
Bostons broke ! How can u not scrounge up 15 mil for Turner coming off that season ??
not only that, but if the numbers for the Toronto deal are right, he signed there for LESS money- showing how much he didn’t want to stay in Boston.
That’s a risk every player takes when opting out. No guarantee another team values you the same
Turner probably wants to play for a team that puts player names on uniforms.
How can u not scrounge up 15 mil for Turner
==============================
Because they are committed to a DH rotation this year, which makes sense.
Go on….I’m listening. They plan on signing a guy for that role ?
DH? I doubt it. Like it or not, Devers, Casas, and Yoshida can all take DH starts without missing much.
And if they were to add an offensive player, imo, they’d be better off signing Chapman and sliding either Devers or Casas into DH.
I liked JT, but I am not sure why so many fans think we should re-sign him.
Yeah, they need to give Abreu and Rafaela a chance. They already signed O’Neill, which made the outfield/DH situation even more crowded.
Give Rafaela another year of development, but otherwise yes.
C’mon….Turner ?? is this Atkins Big deal ?? The Worst GM in Blue Jays History ….Fire the Clown (s)
Yup…terrible move. Jay’s DH role is becoming a revolving door of washed up veterans….who will it be next year?
Need a front office that can build a team, not a circus.
Worst GM in Blue Jays History? Gord Ash says hi!
Couldn’t see Ash because Ricciardi’s huge ego and no talent is blocking him.
Ryu, Spring, Keirmeyer, Gausman, Bassitt… sure, worst GM in baseball.
clown comment.
The 2 Cleveland Clowns have NEVER EVER Built an Elite club ….39 yr, old Justin ?Turner is Atkins Big signing….
Of Your 5 ,so far Gausman is a good signing…We are a worse team than last year now !!
Gausman Springer and Basset and KK are good signings as well as Ryu was good when healthy. And remember they also gave an extension to Berrios leading to one of the best rotations in baseball last year. They have a good chance of being even better this year if AM figures his stuff out this year
We are a worse team now, than last years , last year We LOST our way into the Wild Card….And Where did that rotation get us ??
92 Wins in 2022, 89 in 2023, 4th or 5th in the A.L. east this year …!!
They under performed last year. Could go either way this year. But I’ll bet they will be better then you think
He’s better than Ricciardi.
Yeah, this would have been a great sign like 9 years ago.
I’m thinking Toronto’s park is bigger than Boston’s, so will his power numbers go down??
Shouldn’t be affected too much, I mean that is also a good park to hit in.
I’ll hold off on congratulating the team. Ohtani was supposed to be signing with Toronto and he ended up in LA. Wouldn’t be surprised if Turner signs with another team within 24 hours.
OY
Troll, troll, troll
If he does sign with the Jays, you disappeared for a day
If he doesn’t I’ll disappear for a week
Deal?
Or are you just trolling?
@filihok
I guess you missed the whole Ohtani to Toronto situation. I guess you can’t share in the fun of that.
OY
Put up or shut up?
Neither, because you’re just a troll seeking attention and can only get it for saying dunb things
Or are you willing to bet on your Chapman comment?
not the left-handed power bat we were led to believe they were going to go out and get…
Who led you to believe they were going out and getting a lefty bat? I’ve been a fan for about half a century. Never been ‘led to believe’ any team was going out and getting anything.
only because it was their mantra since the end of the season…
I hope Matt Chapman knows how to speak Korean
Chapman will be fine. Just won’t be any team that is desperate to pay the Boras initial expectations if they were thinking 150mil guaranteed. Maybe 100.
BorA$$ is getting his lunch handed to him this off season…. maybe its time for these players to see that having him representing them is not such a good idea any more.. I am not a fan of collusion, but when it comes to BorA$$ I am fully supportive.,
So you’re ethically flexible?
Boras being out negotiated has been wrongly predicted during many off-seasons. He always gets big contracts for his stars… lesser players? Not so much…
The teams don’t need to collude as they instinctively hate Borass so much!
Perfect pick up for the Jays. He can play once a week at both 3B and 1B and DH the remaining games. Just need a RH hitting OF now. I think Barger or Martinez will be the 3B by years end if at least one of them continues progressing.
Although he’s been incredibly productive, this move seems too risky to me. 39 is still 39 and the likelihood of him to continue this production isn’t in his favor.
I do hope I’m wrong and he’s one of those exceptions.
Teams and fans have said the same thing about him for the last few years. It’s bound to catch up to him someday but hopefully he doesn’t fall off a cliff. maybe a .750 ops instead of .800. I’d still take it.
He played 7 games at 3B last year and is now a year older.
As a Dodger fan I’m just glad he didn’t join the Giants or Angels. Good on JT, Toronto you got yourself a solid clubhouse guy.
I was kinda hoping Matt Arnold had another rabbit in his hat for Turner to play 3rd/DH for the Crew this year. It’ll be interesting what he signed for. Brewers payroll may be maxed out but Turner would have added another veteran bat to this young lineup.
Mega overpay for this guy.
Spotrac has a market value of 8.6M.
spotrac.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/justin-turner-8649/…
yeah because 2.1 War players sign 1 year deals for 8.6m.
@deok40
Enjoy the overpay! Typical of Toronto.
yeah, huge overpays on Keirmeier, Bassitt, and Gausman, eh?
snappy comeback. but reading your other garbage posts it is to be expected
@deok40
Ironic, coming from you and your snappy and garbage post above.
If you read their annual complaining here, they think it’s the opposite.
yeah i posted a fact about his worth as a 2.1 War player so i can see how that compares to your baseless comments. Idiot
@deok40
You posted a number with no context. I provided the market value. Which one makes more sense? Yes, mine done. Now go sit down and check your FB status on your phone.
yep you showed me. you posted a link to a site showing a players worth that undervalues just about every player. They have Soler at 13.9 mil and he is asking for 20 mil a year. Not to mention that a 1 year deal is going to push up the AAV. Your link is trash just like your posts. Now go ask your mom for lunch. I am done with you.
@deok40
Mom, can I have lunch?
So, all you could do was write a troll post about how you don’t’ like facts? Wow!
Old Pork – Lol! Your clueless!
OY
“Typical of Toronto.”
Troll gonna troll
Adam Frazier says hi
Veteran leadership alone, knows how to win, solid team first guy…. all things not measured in Spotract Market Value. Not a Jays fan, obviously, but this is a solid move to help a team that can’t get past the first round of the playoffs.
@Cooperdooper7
I guess that helped Boston last year win the AL East, right?
They can’t get past the first round because they missed their window of contention and built their team around sons of previous MLB players instead of actual skillset. This year, Toronto looks like an 80-90 win team but not the championship team they had back in the mid-2010s.
How can they go 80-90 when there are only 162 games in the season? Or do they somehow play 8 postseason games? But that would put them in the postseason with 75 or so wins? This is all so confusing.
Oh, you mean they win 80-90 games? That’s a pretty wide range. But maybe sensible if you’re mean is 85 and your standard deviation is not too large. It all seems so confusing.
It’s January. There are still moves to be made that will impact a number of teams. It all seems so confusing.
I’m confused.
@whyhayzee
Sorry, I should have said a win total around 80-90 wins, just based on WAR.
@ Old York
First, my statement has nothing to do with the Red Sox…. but if you feel like injecting assumptions into my thoughts, don’t bother, my wife already is king of that department…lol.
I disagree.with your take on Toronto’s window being closed. The Diamondbacks made it to the WS last year winning 84 games. You have to make it to the playoffs first, which the Jays have done the last couple of years….. a seasoned Vet like Turner can’t hurt. I guess we will see………………
Well, so much for Joey Votto heading home to Canada, it seems.
Jays went for youth over experience
Maybe Votto goes to Korea now. 😉
I’m still waiting on that Espinal trade to drop. Jays have way to many infielders. It might be selling high on .855 ops Clement or 1.008 ops Schnieder who both have high ops in AAA as well.
Why would Espinal have any trade value? Isn’t he a DFA candidate?
All 30 teams could use a guy like JT. Good signing
Why? As a 40 year old cheerleader on the bench? I would rather hire some actual good-looking female cheerleaders.
23 HR, 96 RBI and .800 OPS doesn’t scream “cheerleader” to me.. hmm you sound a little salty
Atkins is real bad. Nothing wrong with Turner in a vacuum, and no such thing as a bad 1 year deal they say, but this + IKF + KK makes little sense. Poor use of limited funds.
I agree could have signed Chapman for that kind of money.
I posted the same thing to RS fans. If one wanted JT, for a few more $$$, you can add a GG 3B like Chapman.
So you expect Chapman to sign a one year contract? I wouldn’t expect him to.
As a RS fan, I am still hoping for Chapman at $100M/5*, and moving Devers to DH or 1st. I am not overly concerned about one year v five years, since Chapman is 8-9 years younger.
* Only if they cannot sign more pitching.
Nice signing professional abs and doesn’t need to play everyday. Hopefully vladdy can learn from him and unlock his potential
professional abs? is that like a 6 pack?
At bats lol
Turner is solid, but I wonder how much more JD Martinez would have cost. I hope JD plays 5 more years at this rate and hits 150-200 more homeruns to have a shot at the HoF… as a guy the rebuilding Astros DFA’d and released.
Solid pickup, good clubhouse guy, can definitely impact the offensive numbers but still think this lineup is missing another bat. Make a trade for another OF/Bench bat, IKF is obviously going to get more reps than we as fans probably want so make another viable option to replace him with.
Good signing for Blue Jays, but this will block the prospects. Palmegiani, Orelvis, Barger. They should deal 2 of these from their strength plus Manoah for Cease.
This isnt blocking anyone, he is a DH. IKF is blocking those guys, and they are likely already better than him. But the Jays team is pretty bad so not going very far with any of those guys as a Chapman replacement.
Orelvis is the 2B if IKF, Cavan or Schneider start slow.
I much rather have turner than overpay multiple potential declining years for Soler or Chapman. The latter is a great defender but after 1.5yrs I dont trust his underperforming bat in a mega deal.. Turner can fill at 3b occasionally as well. Go Bluejays! Dye Turners beard blue! haha
$$$ seems to be drying up pretty quick.
I wonder how all these remaining free agents feel at this point? Boras still has like 600 players he’s convinced to wait out the market.
I think the Jays would get more production from the DH spot from Brandon Belt.
I loved Belt with the Jays. But The Jury is still out on if he wants to play this up coming season. Can’t wait forever while there’s been movement on DH signings.
Great move. He’s old but still can hit. And he’s a great clubhouse dude. Excellent signing.
Happy for Turner. Quality guy. Good he now has a chance to win.
The Jays will be really bad this year, like Boston bad. This is the lineup prior to Springer and Jansen’s inevitable injuries.
Springer (R)
Bo (R)
Vlad (R)
Turner (R)
Jansen/Kirk (R)
Varsho (L)
Schneider (R)
IKF (R)
KK (L)
Bench: Biggio (L), Espinal (R)
So, this same lineup minus Chapman was a playoff team last year.
You replaced Chapman with the worst hitter in the MLB and last years team was also bad and got swept in the playoffs yet again.
So you’re saying they made the playoffs last year? And this year they need to replace a whopping 17 homers and 54 RBIs from the 3rd base position.
plus if you take away Chapmans April last year he was a .200 hitter with even worse power numbers.
ok now look at IKF’s career numbers.
You’re saying pitchers never get hurt? Jays are an injury away on the mound from a teardown.
Yup. Any pitching regression and the Jays will need 10 of those 12, and/or a fresh face or three having career years to compete in the AL East.
I don’t know what script Shapkins is working off but a line-up with, effectively, NO impact left-handed-hitting as is seems misguided.
I expect better numbers from bo and Vladdy light than last season. So that will make up some. I still think they add another bat since they got the money to spend. If it’s soler – they had a good off season imo
Good upgrade over Belt for sure. DH plus both corners backed up, solid get.
lol upgrade over Belt. 2023 Belt 858 OPS, 2023 Turner 800 OPS. Age: Belt 36, Turner 39. Belt was left handed which was also a huge plus.
At best its a wash, but in no world is it an upgrade.
It’s an upgrade because Belt was a lefty platoon. Turner can hit against both righties and lefties and has the ability to play 3rd base if needed.
Did you really just give me one stat and call it a wash? Come on now.
What other stats do you want? bWAR 2.0 to 2.1 but Turner played more games due to Belt injuries. I suppose “health” is an upgrade? Turner can play 5 games a year at 3B? Nothing wrong with Turner or Belt as your 36+ year old DH but he is not an upgrade over Belt. It is pretty much the definition of a wash.
I tend to look at the overall package with a premium on quantifiable stats. Turner has offered more, not only in 2023, but his entire career. He didn’t slow down last year. And you know what health isn’t a bad thing to look at as well. If he plays as he’s played throughout his career, I’m not sure how anyone will disagree that he’s going to add more to the lineup than Belt.
Every time I get a prediction right in the MLBTR FA contest, an angel gets its wings
I got to be close to being at the top of the FA contest…. I filled out the Dodgers for every free agent.
I’m getting destroyed… I think I have five right
Ding ding ding loser loser
Wow. 13MM for a guy who is 39 years old. I get it, he was productive last year and many years before that. I remember in the early 2000s having lunch with coworkers and Paul Danforth (now of CAA Sports) who was a big wig in the Mets front office. He was telling us how he can’t believe how the team was paying 34 year old slugger Carlos Delgado 12.5MM. My oh my have the times changed.
Dude is 39. He’s due to fall off sooner rather than later.
uneffin’ believable, you mean to tell me the Sox couldn’t find a spot for this guy??!! He was SOLID last year, almost 100 ribbies, GREAT clubhouse dude, versitille, DH-1b-3b.. A solid veteran who was as professional as they come. He did all the right things, hitting the ball the other way, moving runner, etc…Just like when they let Schwarber go….I just don’t get what is going on at Fenway. Montgomery is begging for them to sign him and they just sit on thier flippin hands…..SMFH
fenwayfrank
uneffin’ believable, you mean to tell me the Sox couldn’t find a spot for this guy??!
================================
My understanding is that the RS want to go with a rotation at DH. I don’t have a problem with that.
Be glad BoSox didn’t sign Turner. India is still available and he will match or exceed any numbers Turner would produce. Two years of control and a fan favorite.
Rather see a commitment to young talent (Bo?) because I have never learned to trust that infinity-edge view of age-related decline.
That said, JT brings a presence to the team, an aura of professionalism. I like that …but it means almost nothing if his skills don’t support its maintenance.
Stay healthy, Justin. That .940 OPS you put up at Rogers Centre last season looks a lot like excess value after the All-Star break if you can get close to that form!
Turner is only 39 hits away from 1,500 in his career and just 13 home runs shy of 200, so he should reach both those milestones in 2024.
Apparently, in MLBTR the word “solid” translates to average. Most overused word in these articles. You don’t have to be complimentary on average to below average play
An average (median) player is the 13th or 14th best player on the major league roster. That’s a starter. You wouldn’t call that solid?
So you’re saying the 13th best player on the A’s and the Dodgers are equivalent? Your reasoning doesn’t apply
No, I didn’t say say that at all.
This is a good spot for Justin. A competitive team in a hitters Park that needs a DH and probably a part-time third baseman after Chapman signs with Giants. Wishing him well.
I would have loved Turner for the Twins. He could take over 1st base while pushing Kiriloff back to the OF where out depth is a lot less set. Too bad the Twins are crying poverty over our TV broadcasting deal:(
Good job JT raking in that cash
Not a bad play by Toronto
How much of the 13 million is coming from Hockey Canada’s slush fund?
Nice pickup by the Blue Jays. Justin Turner is a model of consistency.
Good move for Toronto – and at a good price, though at Turner’s age, he will be hard pressed to get anything more than a 1 year deal. But he’s on a contender – albeit in a super tough division making it an uphill climb. Great guy. Great leader. Super consistent. .
Just hope JD does not end up n Arizona now.
Justin is requesting his Jays uniform number match his AARP number.
Why are people upset by boston not signing a near 39 year old player for 15 mil when they have now come clean and stated a commitment to youth?..its not like he can play the field every day
Why are people upset by boston
====================
Half the RS fans are always upset, and always have been upset, and always will be upset.
Dare I say eternal pessimists with nothing of substance to add to the conversation?
Same in real life, same with other sports and other teams. A lot of fans hated Tito & Theo. A lot of them couldn’t wait to get rid of Belichick. I don’t remember Reid being overly popular with Eagle fans.
Pop goes the hamstrings
Good pickup for the Jays – veteran presence & leadership.
FWIW, the Blue Jays paid the luxury tax last year, so this would be the second year in a row.
Greg Bird would have been a lot cheaper and just as good
Tiger ownership to Gd CHEAP to hire this guy for trade bait….
No Confidence in Christopher Illich.
Nick Maton is obviously better.
Wasted over 10 years of my life hoping in the Tigers …or Lions….
I was wrong. They’re not cheap, just allergic to batters who hit over .250.
Another player that the Mets were going after, gone now, WTG slow pokes
Mets, he signed 1 year and you slept again. What a bunch of jokes.
Guerrero needs a breather every five steps. Hope JT is ready to spell him quite a bit!
Vlad is 25 should be at 1st everyday
Tell that to his BMI & muffin top
As the roster currently seems to be with the Jays, I’d see if you could play Turner 5-10 at 3rd during the season because come playoffs he may need to be their primary 3rd baseman then.
At 1st. I thought it read “Atkins signs Justin Trudeau”…..
No. It says that they signed Justin Turner. He is a third baseman that used to play with the Dodgers. Not the Brooklyn Dodgers ; the current Dodgers in the city of L.A in California.. He can play third base and DH. Justin Trudeau is the current prime minister of Canada, he does not play major league baseball..
Hey Buff….relax
He is pretty good at dodge ball however….
Not a big fan of his.. thought he was full of himself when with dodgers… saw the way he played.. what a plus to community he was in Boston. A real professional.. so what I’m saying is I was wrng wrooong.. best of luck except when you play us.. ofers and gidp the wishes
Big day for Toronto as Vladdy was also chosen to be the MLB The Show 24’s Cover Athlete.
Will miss Turner in Boston and not looking forward to having to face him with Toronto
Good job, Red Sox – fantastic work on continuing to doze through the entire fn offseason. I hate this team sometimes.
So you thought money spent on JT was smarter than money spent on pitching?
Outside of Giolito, what money have they spent on pitching, exactly?
They haven’t. But if they were to spend $13M, would you prefer JT or a pitcher?
They’ve been outspent by the Royals. They are an incredibly large market team and they’re $40MM shy of the tax line – they can afford both. JT wasn’t preventing any additional signings.
I’ll have to agree to disagree. If we spend another $13M, I’d rather it be on Clevinger than JT.
This is a fabulous signing for the Jays. Hits both LPH and RHP well. Super dependable, proven, leadership qualities, some pop in the bat, professional hitter with a great post-season pedigree. Can also have a bit of positional flexibility.
@wayler “Can also have a bit of positional flexibility.”
Agreed. He cannot play 3B. He cannot play 2B. But in fairness Turner merely *should not* play 1B.
Huge downgrade from offense last year
Turner at 3B at 39 is hilarious.
Have you looked at his OAA? What did Boston try him there for in 2023…. 60 innings, if that?
Had hoped JT would sign a 1 year with the Dodgers but that’s not happening, I’m glad though he didn’t sign w/the Giants.
SMART move for both Jays and JT,
So are Giants fans.
Not talking about the NY Giants…
Look a Giants fan, a rare sight.
Great signing. I was really hoping he would be coming back to soCal and playing for the Angels. The team needs a DH and backup for Rendon at 3B. He would have been a perfect fit and that is an entirely reasonable amount of money considering his performance in recent years.
Massive blow to the Mets to see Gritty sign elsewhere.
I’m sure the Toronto equipment manager already looks forward to cleaning those resin-stained jerseys.
The spending could have been done more effectively this offseason, but asking the current Jays regime to do that is a big ask. It usually takes two years to address needs like 3B, CF, SP and now a RH outfield bench bat. If Rogers is fine with the tax penalty(s), then keep spending.
Turner on the road (outside Fenway): .258/.343/.440
39 turning 40 in November. Should be a bit of a concern if you are a Jays fan.
He’s a dynamo.I sure did love watching him come outta nowhere and become a bad man in LA.His bat slowed down against flame throwers and it showed last 2 playoff years he was around.He’s still a big time hitter.If Red ain’t a professional hitter I dunno who is right now.He will still end up btwn 95-105 RBIs in that line up and stadium.Fan favorite in no time
No mention in the article as to the death toll brought on by his entering the field of play without wearing a facial garment. #neverforget
Idiotic comment, like wearing masks helped anyone. Never forget idiots pushing mandates without scientific proof of anything!!!
Full Throttle Soccer ⚽️ & Golf ⛳️! Fenway/Redsox Boycott Begins!
Most consistent Red Sox last year, I think the clubhouse is really gonna miss him. He’s worth 13.5M or 14.5M easy. 39 Years old with a +wRC of 114 is very impressive, with a 17% strikeout rate.
Belt hit 36% above league average as per Baseball Reference in 2023. He was also a much needed left hand bat. He also played 1st base occasionally. Turner hit really well but people who look at him as a saviour for 3rd base should realize he only played 14 games worth of innings for the Red Sox last year. He will not play more than that at 3rd for the Jays. That means we can look forward to 145+ games with IFK or some other slug at 3rd. Turner is also one of if not the slowest 3rd baseman in baseball. To say that Turner for Belt is a wash is an acceptable statement. Stats show it. Belt will probably sign with the world champion Rangers. Personally I always thought that Hoskins was the guy we should have signed. Much younger and would have ended this endless steam of one year signings that prohibit the club from jelling. Turner is better than nothing but his signing in no way makes this years Jays any better than last years. There are no good players to back up any position. Who backs up the starting outfielders? Who plays second except for untried players and players who are already failing at the big league level? Who backs up the starting pitching if Monah fails again and if there are any injuries? This team lacks any bench strength but the idiot GM smiles and keeps lying about how great this team is going to be. The Jays will get better when the idiot GM is let go this season. Right now Atkins and Shapiro are really good as bar managers for their new digs. Nothing more.
@ Larry….Extremely WELL SAID !! The 2 Cleveland Clowns have to go !!
Typical Adams, not knowing how to use commas. When “and” begins the sentence, there should be no comma after it.
Great acquisition… IF there’s another bat coming. If not, they are going to be fighting for a wildcard spot at best with what they’re fielding for a team this year.
Great move by the Blue Jays. I’m a Red Sox fan and didn’t appreciate Turner’s skills when he played for the Dodgers. Getting to see him in a Red Sox uniform last season showed me Justin is a throwback and a great ball player. I can’t believe Breslow couldn’t find a place on the Red Sox for Turner especially given the lack of right-handed hitters in their lineup. Breslow himself said the lineup is not balanced which leads me to conclude this was just a cost savings move. I am now a Justin Turner fan and wish him the very best.