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Mariners infielder Justin Turner’s fortieth birthday is simply across the nook this November, however that’s not stopping the veteran from planning to maintain going subsequent 12 months. The pending free agent informed reporters, together with MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, after Seattle’s win over the A’s on Saturday that he needs to proceed his taking part in profession in 2025:
“one hundred pc. I nonetheless really feel good, nonetheless really feel like I’ve so much to contribute,” Turner stated, as relayed by Kramer. “And I completely love spending time round these guys and the conversations and questions and serving to guys.”
Whilst he enters his 40s, it’s not essentially a shock that Turner would plan to proceed taking part in. In spite of everything, the veteran stays fairly productive on the sector. In 138 video games break up between Toronto and Seattle this 12 months, the veteran has slashed .258/.353/.380 with a wRC+ of 115. Whereas Turner’s 11 house runs and .122 remoted slugging proportion are each the bottom he’s posted in a full season since turning into a daily with the Dodgers again in 2015, his general manufacturing stays precisely in keeping with what he produced for the Purple Sox final 12 months and never far off from the 123 wRC+ he posted in his remaining 12 months as a Dodger.
Turner has largely been restricted to first base and DH since departing Los Angeles, with simply six complete appearances on the scorching nook this 12 months after logging 17 appearances between second and third base with the Purple Sox final 12 months. That dwindling versatility will certainly prohibit his market this winter, however there ought to nonetheless be loads of suitors for Turner even in a strictly 1B/DH function. In spite of everything, simply 9 groups bought a 115 wRC+ or increased out of first base this 12 months, whereas 11 golf equipment matched or exceeded that determine at DH. Solely the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Braves, Phillies, and Diamondbacks bought higher numbers than Turner offered out of each positions this 12 months, and Arizona figures to lose each Christian Walker and Joc Pederson to free company this winter.
After all, it’s unlikely that Turner would actually garner curiosity from each membership he can be an on-paper improve for, however it’s nonetheless simple to think about him as a match for various groups. The Astros may benefit from a right-handed complement to Jon Singleton at first base and somebody able to plugging in at DH on days the place Yordan Alvarez performs the outfield, for one instance. In the meantime, the Royals, Nationals, Tigers and Pirates are all younger up-and-coming groups who not solely bought beneath common manufacturing from both first base or DH this 12 months however might additionally profit from including a well-respected veteran like Turner as a mentor determine for younger hitters.
Turner has additionally signed one-year offers in every of the previous two offseasons, which might make him a very enticing candidate for a crew just like the Tigers that has a potential common in Spencer Torkelson however might not wish to depend on the 25-year-old lastly taking a long-anticipated step ahead after making the playoffs for the primary time since 2014 this 12 months. That flexibility might additionally profit a crew just like the Yankees that has a possible inheritor to first base in Ben Rice at Triple-A however is unlikely to totally decide to a teen with simply 49 massive league video games underneath his belt.
A return to Seattle can also’t be dominated out. As Kramer noted final night time, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto indicated to reporters Saturday that the membership’s payroll is prone to enhance this winter. Whereas Dipoto cautioned that a lot of that enhance figures to be accounted for with the rising arbitration prices of a giant class of key gamers like Randy Arozarena, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert and Cal Raleigh, it’s not exhausting to think about the membership having the ability to match a one-year deal for Turner into their funds in the event that they resolve they’d want to make use of him within the first base/DH combine alongside Luke Raley reasonably than depend on teen Tyler Locklear.
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