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As Justin turner tweeted on Saturday night, he and the Dodgers will be reunited after the third baseman tests free agency after the 2020 season.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman Later tweeted that Turner, now 36, and the Dodgers agreed to a two-year deal. Ken Rosenthal from Athletic added that the deal is for $ 34 million over two years with a club option for a third year and a signing bonus of $ 8 million.
Justin Turner deals with Dodgers, By Source: Two-year, $ 34 million, with club option for third season. Includes an $ 8M signing bonus.
– Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 14, 2021
Turner is returning to the squad he’s been with since 2014 and where he won a World Series last season, but was unable to be on the field for the final withdrawal due to a positive COVID test result -19. Turner began his career with the Orioles in 2009, and after brief appearances for Baltimore in 2009 and 2010, was waived and claimed by the Mets in May 2010.
As a four-season Met, the Long Beach, Calif., Native cut .265 / .326 / .370 with eight home runs and 86 RBIs. He was not offered by the Mets after the 2013 season and signed with his hometown Dodgers for the 2014 season.
As the Dodger through seven seasons, Turner cut .302 / .382 / .503 with 116 home runs and 139 OPS +. His best seasons were 2016 and 2019, when he hit 27 home runs in each of those seasons. In the 2015 NLDS against the Mets, Turner led the Dodgers with 10 hits in 19 batting, six of those hits being doubles.
During his free agency this offseason, there was speculation the Mets might be interested in a Turner meeting, as rumors abounded that the Mets are looking to improve on third base. Turner’s return to Flushing never looked realistic, as he seems very comfortable playing in his native Southern California, and his departure from the Mets in 2013 was not amicable.
Turner said he was not tendered because he worked with the former Met Marlon Byrd on a hitting approach that was not consistent with the approach of the Mets team. He has openly stated that he left on bad terms and his goal is to play well against the Mets to make them see they made a mistake. Given that Sandy Alderson, general manager when Turner was not tendered, is back with the Mets, Turner was unlikely to consider returning to New York.
Although Turner signed with Los Angeles at the end of the offseason, he had been courted by the Brewers, who reportedly made him a multi-year offer. With Turner off the board, the Mets can focus their third base energy elsewhere (the Kris bryant rumors are hot right now, and the Mets have also contacted athletics about Matt Chapman).
Acting general manager Zack Scott said on Friday the Mets were comfortable entering the season with JD Davis playing an important role, although that role was never defined. It seems likely the Mets will try to land a new third baseman for 2021, and it’s now clear that the third baseman won’t be Justin Turner.
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