RADIO
Justin Turner Seeks Further Success North Of The Border
9 months agoIn 2023, Justin Turner signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox after nine years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal was well worth it for the player and team as Turner enjoyed career-highs in hits (154) and RBI (96) while calling hitter-friendly Fenway Park home. Turner also scored 86 runs, hit 23 homers, and had a respectable .276 batting average in his age-38 season. Despite the success, there were some signs that he might be slowing down. Turner's expected batting average and hard-hit rate decreased for the fourth year in a row and his batting average against four-seam fastballs was just .229. After declining his player option, Turner signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on another one-year deal. Most projection systems foresee a reduction in playing time and with it a decrease in counting stats, down to around 15 HR and between 115 and 135 runs and RBI combined. Managers can afford to be optimistic about Turner and pick him up as a corner infielder or bench player given his 248.17 ADP and the fact that he will be hitting in the top half of the Jays' lineup alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.
