Longtime Dodger Justin Turner signs two-year deal with Boston Red Sox
Longtime Dodger Justin Turner on Sunday signed a deal that will send him to the other side of the nation, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox.
First reported by ESPN, the contract is said to be worth nearly $22 million.
Last season, he hit .278 with 13 home runs and 81 runs driven in, splitting time in the lineup as both a designated hitter and third baseman.
Now 38, Turner joined the Boys in Blue back in 2014. In nine years playing in front of the Dodger Faithful, Turner hit .296 with 156 homers and 574 runs driven in. He was named to two All-Star Games and helped the Dodgers to three National League Pennants, eight NL West titles and the 2020 World Series Championship.
He put together two of his best years in back-to-back campaigns in 2016 and 2017, when he finished ninth and eighth in MVP voting, respectively. In 281 games over those two seasons, he hit .296 with 48 homers and 161 RBIs with a .375 on base percentage and .884 OPS.
Those numbers, however, have been on a steady decline since, though he did finish the last two years with 80+ runs driven in.
The Dodgers declined Turner's $16 million option following the 2022 season, cutting ties with the third baseman and making him a free agent.
A Southland native who grew up in Long Beach and played college ball with Cal State Fullerton, Turner's big league career never hit stride until he returned to Southern California after spending parts of five seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets.
Now heading back east, Turner is expected to fill in at a similar role to that he took last season with Los Angeles. While he'll likely slot into the lineup as a designated hitter, he should see some time in the field, except at first base instead of his usual spot at the hot corner.
Turner will be reunited with former Dodgers teammates in Enrique Hernandez and Kenley Jansen, both of whom they signed as free agents in recent years, and Alex Verdugo, who was a crucial part of the trade that landed Mookie Betts in Los Angeles.
Fans will always remember Turner for his signature red beard and his pine tarred jersey, but also for his philanthropy, his fun-loving attitude and interactions with fans.
Most recently, Turner won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2022, given to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team."
Over the years in Los Angeles, he and his wife Kourtney have constantly been found in the midst of philanthropic ventures. The two founded the Justin Turner Foundation in 2016, a nonprofit organization "whose mission is to support homeless veterans, children (and their families) battling life-altering illnesses and diseases and various youth baseball organizations," according to their website.
The duo have often visited child patients at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, as detailed by MLB. Earlier in 2022, Turner wore a pair of cleats during a Sept. game that were decorated by children at the hospital.
Ironically, the move is what appears to be an unintentional swap of designated hitters, after the Dodgers agreed to terms with former Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez on a one-year, $10 million deal on Saturday.
