Headed for a bidding war as one of four premier free-agent shortstops, Turner enters the offseason in a very enviable position.
If you can accept 2022 as a humidor-induced blip, Turner’s best selling point might be that he’ll give his next team a slugger with above-average bat-to-ball skills who can run a little, and move to center field or second base if needed. These are pretty strong selling points. In a free agent shortstop class that includes Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson – who finally came into his power stroke this season – Turner has a unique resume.
The question is, is it the kind of resume the Dodgers are likely to spend silly money on? They famously do not spend silly money often, but every offseason is its own beast. Even if they exercise the contract option on Justin Turner, the Dodgers will have committed $98.6 million in guaranteed salary to six players . For a team whose payroll ran almost three times that amount in 2022, that’s a modest commitment that should leave room to spend.
If turning to the free-agent market is the plan where should the Dodgers turn? There is a tendency, though not universal, to favor the devil you know over the devil you don’t. For all the merits of Correa, Bogaerts and Swanson, Turner has had more than a year to bond with the players and coaches in Los Angeles. A Florida native, TurnerTurner checks a lot of boxes the Dodgers prioritize from their position players.. Defensive versatility. An ability to hit for power.
. That could turn Turner’s market from a mere bonanza into a frenzy; it’s hard to say exactly how the market will react to the potential for more base-stealing in the future. The Dodgers should be considered the prohibitive favorites in any bidding war that doesn’t also involve the New York Yankees or the New York Mets, and
like the Dodgers would if Turner departed. A frenzy might not be the worst thing if you want Turner back.
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