Is Justin Turner A Good Fit With The Blue Jays? Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Now that the calendar has flipped to February, we can begin to count down the days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. That being said, there are still plenty of high-profile names left on the free-agent market.

There is one less impact bat left on the open market, however, as veteran Justin Turner has signed a one-year, $13 million deal with $1.5 million in performance bonuses available. The Blue Jays have solved their need at designated hitter. For Turner, he lands another lucrative one-year deal after a nice season on a one-year pact with the Boston Red Sox in 2023.

Is Turner the right fit for the Blue Jays? What effect does his new landing spot have on his fantasy baseball value? Let's dive in and answer both of those questions.

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Justin Turner's Fit With The Blue Jays

For the team, it's a very nice fit. The 39-year-old is a respected clubhouse presence who can aid the Jays' young core. He has appeared in the postseason in nine different seasons, playing a total of 86 playoff games while winning the 2017 NLCS MVP, something that can come in handy should the Jays get to the dance for the third straight season.

Oh, and he also hit .276 with 23 home runs, the second-most he's had in his career, with 96 RBI and an .800 OPS across 146 games in his age-38 season with the Red Sox a year ago. Although his walk rate dipped and the strikeout ticked up (to just 17.6%), Turner's bat was 14% more productive than the league average in 2023, as per his 114 wRC+. That's his lowest wRC+ since 2013; however, his bat was at least 23% superior to the league average from 2015-2022.

Now, while the Blue Jays would take his 2023 production in a heartbeat, ATC is projecting an inferior season in 2024. The projection system has Turner hitting .266 with 16 home runs and a .768 OPS alongside a 110 wRC+ in 2024. Certainly solid production, and the club would likely be happy with that output, too.

All that being said, that caliber of output doesn't move the needle for fantasy managers, especially not at the corner infield positions since he is only first-base eligible in NFBC leagues.

Considering he is penciled in as the Jays' primary designated hitter, Turner's fantasy value takes another hit in addition to likely regression at the plate. He is still being drafted with a respectable 252.48 ADP, but the upside is capped for Turner in his age-39 campaign.

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