Tonight, Justin Turner ended one of the few remaining free agent dances, announcing that he is returning to the Dodgers, as many hoped he would.
Let’s run back @Dodgers fans !!! @vaynersports @vaynerbaseball pic.twitter.com/fRY0pvyWMx
– Justin Turner (@ redturn2) February 14, 2021
The other final suitor for Turner was considered the Brewers, so at least he doesn’t go there. It remains to be seen how much Turner was able to wrest from the Dodgers by extending this thing, but it’s probably two or three years at most. He can still get it right, but he has 36 and the defense is (statistically) decreasing in third base. (UPDATE: Two years and more than $ 30 million.)
The Dodgers are now back in their powerful body for the title defense. Intimidate for them.
The other thing that this means about the Cubs is hopefully – * WE HOPE * – that we can get some complete and final resolution on Kris Bryant’s commercial front now. There is no one else out there in the market to conflict with whatever the Cubs and / or a trading partner might be doing. So there is either an agreement or not. At this late date, a negotiation is not to be expected, but obviously there was all that renewed smoke from the Mets this week. Please let this resolve soon, in one way or another.
And if Bryant stays, I just hope the focus will be on the 2021 season (or at least the first half). I kind of want to embark on the idea that he’s the guy, he’s going to recover, he’s going to be an important part of the Cubs competition, and blah blah. That thing.