The Toronto Blue Jays have been active this offseason as they signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Yariel Rodriguez and brought back Kevin Kiermaier. The one thing they were looking for after losing Matt Chapman to free agency was someone who could play a corner infield position and slide into the designated hitter spot. Today, they did that as they signed Justin Turner, who spent last season with the Boston Red Sox.
Justin Turner By The Numbers
Turner has been a journeyman, playing with the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. He made his mark as a Dodger where he finished in the top ten in MVP voting twice in 2016 and 2017, he was also a two-time All-Star with them back in 2017 and 2021. Last season with the Red Sox, he slashed .276/.345/.455 with a .800 OPS; he had 31 doubles, 23 home runs, 96 RBI, 86 runs scored, four stolen bases, and 51 walks in 146 games. In his career, he has played in 1,539 games and slashed .288/.363/.465 with a .829 OPS; he has 323 doubles, nine triples, 187 home runs, 759 RBI, 738 runs scored, 45 stolen bases, and 513 walks. In the postseason, he has a slash line of .270/.370/.460 with a .830 OPS; he has 19 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 43 runs scored, five stolen bases, and 38 walks.
Wrap Up:
The addition of Turner to a lineup that already included George Springer, Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Daulton Varsho, and Alejandro Kirk will benefit the Blue Jays and certainly makes them better in 2024 as they look to compete with the Baltimore Orioles and the moves the New York Yankees made to be better. The one question mark for Toronto will be pitching and whether Alek Manoah can return to his Cy Young candidate form from 2022, but the lineup will undoubtedly score runs.
