Justin Turner Sounds Upset The Red Sox Didn’t Re-Sign Him
Justin Turner is on his way to Toronto after signing a one-year contract with the Blue Jays. If it were up to Turner, it sure sounds like his preference would have been to return to Boston. The Red Sox have just decided to cry poor instead and never made Turner a competitive offer.
The new Blue Jays DH weighed in on where things stood with the Red Sox prior to signing with Toronto.
“As time went on it was appearing to be less and less likely,” Turner told reporters, including The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham, via a Zoom call Friday. “Right when the season ended, I assumed that it would be a no-brainer, that I would try to work something out and come back.”
“It was a blast,” Turner said about his time in Boston, per Abraham. “It was really special to put on that uniform and get to play at Fenway. The city was great. They took me in. We loved it. I enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t have a bad thing to say about Boston.”
Turner, 39, slashed .276/.345/.455 with Boston in 2023. That stat line also included .800 OPS, 23 homers, 31 doubles, 86 runs, 96 RBIs, 51 walks, and 110 strikeouts in 146 games (626 plate appearances) as Boston’s primary DH. I’d say the Turner experience was a pleasant one for Red Sox fans.
The problem is the Sox kinda screwed themselves with this from the start. If you watched the offseason guide, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Turner is also being paid a $6.7 million buyout after he decided to opt-out. The way Chaim Bloom structured the deal screwed over the team for the second year of that deal.
Turner should be a valued addition to Toronto. It’s nice veteran leadership that team needs.
Side note: Speaking of Peter Abraham…
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