Justin Turner grew up in Long Beach, Calif., went to California State University and spent the final 9 years enjoying for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 38-year-old wasn’t afraid to say it: he needed to remain on the West Coast and return to the Dodgers for at the least yet another season.
Then the Red Sox began signing a few of Turner’s former teammates.
“To be honest, going into the offseason I made it clear I had a very strong interest in returning (to L.A.) and continuing on with them,” Turner mentioned Friday after the Red Sox introduced they’d signed him to a one-year contract in 2023 with a participant possibility in ‘24. “But as things shook out time went on and I started having conversations with other teams including the Red Sox, seeing different opportunities presented in front of me, I found it very intriguing that I got recruited heavily by a lot of guys.”
Former teammates of Turner’s in L.A., Kiké Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin made it clear that they needed him within the fold in Boston, the place the Sox have picked up a handful of former Dodgers, most within the later components of their careers.
“Seeing guys like Kenley and Chris Martin come in and shore up the back end of the bullpen, which is pretty important in our game, making sure when you have a lead in the late innings and you’re able to finish off those games and complete them – that was intriguing as well,” Turner mentioned. “There’s a lot of talent over here and a lot of great players. I love (manager Alex Cora) and the way he goes about it. I have heard great things. Looking forward to contributing on and off the field and helping bring another championship back to Boston.”
Cora and Turner performed collectively briefly on the Mets in 2010, when Turner was simply beginning his large league profession and Cora was ending his.
“I actually pinch-hit for Alex in my first at-bat for the Mets,” Turner mentioned.
But Hernandez was the lead recruiter.
“To say he didn’t have a big part of this would be a lie,” Turner mentioned.
But there was extra to contemplate than the opinion of a detailed pal. A better take a look at the Red Sox roster may make one marvel why a veteran would wish to end his profession in Boston.
The Sox completed in final place in 2022 and arguably received worse, shedding Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, Christian Vazquez, Matt Strahm and maybe Michael Wacha to free company. They’ve added Jansen, Martin, Turner and Masataka Yoshida.
“No. 1 that stands out is getting the opportunity to watch Raffy (Devers) play every day, the way he takes his at-bats and goes about his business,” Turner mentioned. “I watched him on TV from afar and clearly I believe he’s one of many extra proficient gamers in our sport. Getting the chance to see what he’s about and be round him is admittedly thrilling.
“The signing of Yoshida, I don’t know a lot about him but I’ve heard a lot about him. I think he’s going to be an impact guy who is off the charts at moving the ball forward, his bat to ball skills are really going to play and hopefully he’ll be feeding the Green Monster in left field. There’s also some young guys in the organization that have a lot of upside and hopefully I can help them with their preparations and routines and give them the best chance to succeed as well.”
There’s no query the Red Sox have skewed a lot older this winter. Turner, 38, is now the oldest participant on the group. Martin is 36, Jansen is 35 and Yoshida is 29.
Turner will undoubtedly want to enhance on his 2022 season, when he hit .278 with a .788 OPS and 13 house runs. He mentioned one thing clicked for him in late June, when he turned his ugly season round and hit .319 with an .889 OPS within the second half.
Now he’ll be requested to switch Martinez, who signed with the Dodgers on a one-year deal value $10 million. Turner, who made $20 million with the Dodgers final season, is assured $21.7 million on his new contract.
He mentioned he expects to “mostly DH, play a little first base, hopefully not too much third base,” he mentioned. “I’m hoping Raffy is over there every day … I’ve done a lot of things in my career, played all over the infield, been a part of a bunch of different roles. I’m not coming into it with the mindset that I have one job, one role or just DHing. I’ll be ready to play wherever AC needs me.”
If the Red Sox don’t signal one other infielder, maybe Turner will play extra second base than he expects. Or if Triston Casas has hassle staying wholesome, Turner can play some first.
“I want to contribute to bringing another championship back to Boston,” he mentioned. “Every player wants to win and win a World Series. That’s the goal. I’m not coming here to teach everyone how to be a good person or a cheerleader in the clubhouse. I want to go out and compete and play and win baseball games. That was a big factor for me.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com