How Justin Turner tweeted on Saturday night, he and the Dodgers will meet after the third baseman tested the free agency after the 2020 season.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network later tweeted that Turner, now 36, and the Dodgers agreed to a two-year deal. Ken Rosenthal’s The Athletic added that the deal is $ 34 million over two years with a third year club option and a $ 8 million subscription bonus.
Justin Turner’s deal with Dodgers, by source: Two years, $ 34 million, with a third season club option. Includes $ 8 million signing bonus.
– Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2021
Turner returns to the team he has been with since 2014, and where he won a World Series last season, although he was unable to be on the field for the last time due to a positive result from a COVID-19 test. Turner began his career with the Orioles in 2009 and, after brief appearances for Baltimore in 2009 and 2010, was dismissed and claimed by the Mets in May 2010.
As a Met for four seasons, the Long Beach, CA native cut 0.265 / .326 / .370 with eight home runs and 86 RBIs. He was not signed by the Mets after the 2013 season and signed with his hometown, Dodgers, for the 2014 season.
As a Dodger for seven seasons, Turner cut 0.302 / 0.382 / 0.503 with 116 home runs and 139 OPS +. His best seasons were 2016 and 2019, when he made 27 home runs in each of those seasons. At the 2015 NLDS against the Mets, Turner led the Dodgers with 10 strokes out of 19 strokes, with six of those strokes being doubles.
During his free agency out of season, there was some speculation that the Mets may be interested in a Turner meeting, as there are many rumors that the Mets is trying to improve third base. Turner’s return to Flushing has never seemed realistic, as he looks very comfortable playing in his native Southern California, and his departure from the Mets in 2013 was not friendly.
Turner said he was not invited because he was working with the former Met Marlon Byrd in a hitting approach that was not consistent with the Mets team approach. He openly stated that he left in poor condition and aims to play well against the Mets to make them see that they made a mistake. Since Sandy Alderson, GM when Turner was not hired, is back at the Mets, it was unlikely that Turner would consider returning to New York.
Although Turner is signing with Los Angeles at the end of the season, he was courted by the Brewers, who allegedly made him an offer of several years. With Turner off the board, the Mets can concentrate their third base energy elsewhere (the Kris Bryant rumors are in vogue now, and Mets also contacted Athletics about Matt Chapman)
GM Zack Scott said on Friday that the Mets are comfortable entering the season with JD Davis playing an important role, although that role has never been defined. It looks like the Mets will try very hard to get a new third baseman for 2021, and it is now clear that the third baseman will not be Justin Turner.
