Third baseman Justin Turner has re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He announced the news Saturday night on his personal Twitter page. The deal is worth $34 million over two years. Turner, 36, is entering his eleventh full season in the major leagues, fresh off of a World Series championship with the Dodgers.
Justin Turner made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009. He came up as a utility infielder, spending time at shortstop, second base, and third base. He spent three years with the New York Mets before signing with the Dodgers in 2014. In Los Angeles, Turner blossomed into one of the best third basemen in baseball, largely due to an improvement in power numbers. After hitting only eight home runs with Baltimore and New York, he hit 116 bombs in his seven years with the Dodgers.
Lettts gooo run it back @Dodgers fans!!! @vaynersports @vaynerbaseball pic.twitter.com/fRY0pvyWMx
— Justin Turner (@redturn2) February 14, 2021
Dodgers Land Veteran Third Baseman
Turner is coming off a season in which he hit .307 with a .860 OPS for the Dodgers. He had the fifth best WAR, 1.3, among position players on the Dodgers. He missed some time with a hamstring injury in early September, causing some concern for his durability this late in his career. Additionally, he hit only four home runs in 150 at bats in 2020, down from 27 in 479 at bats the year before.
Despite these issues, Turner proved his worth late in the 2020 postseason. He hit two home runs and batted .320 in the World Series, helping the Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games. He finished with the fifth most win probability added (WPA) among all players. Turner also made headlines when he tested positive for the coronavirus and was pulled late in Game Six.
Turner returns to the Dodgers to try to win a second consecutive World Series title. Repeating as champions is an expectation for the Dodgers.
With the re-signing of Justin Turner, the Dodgers are returning a dynamic offensive player and a veteran clubhouse leader. The Dodgers are hoping that Turner will again be a difference maker for them late in his career.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
