Justin Turner declines option (11.03.23 update)

chawson

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Any concern he's one of those weird players who hits better when playing the field? 137 wRC+ in 66 games at 3b last year, 106 in 61 games at DH.
Hmm, this may have more to do with the time of the season, but hard to say. He got a late start, likely due in part to the short spring (and maybe bad ball). After July 1, his wOBA as a DH was .378, which is terrific and nothing to worry about. But then again, his wOBA as a 3B in the time frame was .424.
 

JCizzle

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What if Bloom’s strategy is to add a collection of good players rather than one impact move? Could that be a path toward fielding a playoff team?
If JDM and JT are largely a wash, I don't see how this is adding good players relative to last year. Especially considering the loss of an impact player elsewhere in the lineup.

My point is that this move certainly shouldn't make Bloom feel much better about this off-season overall - pending additional moves.
 

simplicio

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Nice, I like this signing a lot.

If Verdugo doesn't get traded maybe Turner can act as a ginger beard mentor.
 

TimScribble

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Where does Turner slide into the lineup? Curious how everyone constructs it with the current team.
 

BringBackMo

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If JDM and JT are largely a wash, I don't see how this is adding good players relative to last year. Especially considering the loss of an impact player elsewhere in the lineup.

My point is that this move certainly shouldn't make Bloom feel much better about this off-season overall - pending additional moves.
And all I’m saying is “pending additional moves” is the entire point. Skepticism is fair, but I don’t think criticizing a single move just because it doesn’t by itself make the Sox contenders is fair.
 

chawson

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If JDM and JT are largely a wash, I don't see how this is adding good players relative to last year. Especially considering the loss of an impact player elsewhere in the lineup.

My point is that this move certainly shouldn't make Bloom feel much better about this off-season overall - pending additional moves.
The Sox made the ALCS in 2021 with Bogaerts at SS and a combination of Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo, Marwin Gonzalez, Michael Chavis and Jose Iglesias at 2B. It’s entirely possible that 2023’s (current) projection of Story at SS and Arroyo/Valdez/TBA is as good or better than that.

And there’s other stuff to come.
 

SouthernBoSox

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At a minimum, Yoshida and Turner add a ton of contact to a lineup that really struggled with it last year.
 

nvalvo

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I like it. Beards are back.

I just hope Yoshida can play left a little bit.
I suspect this means we ease Casas into the bigs in a platoon role:

Vs. RHP
1B Casas
DH Turner
OF Yoshida

Vs. LHP
1B Turner
DH Yoshida
OF Refsnyder

This makes soooooo much more sense than Hosmer.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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I’d probably go something like this (hoping they land a Segura)…vs RH at least (vs LH I imagine
Casas sits for Refsnyder, usually).

Yoshida
Devers
Story
Casas
Turner
Hernandez
Verdugo
Segura
McGuire
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Verdugo has played like 900 innings in RF for the Sox, maybe it’s not ideal, but he can do it; in the same way that Story can play SS.
 

simplicio

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I’d probably go something like this (hoping they land a Segura)…vs RH at least (vs LH I imagine
Casas sits for Refsnyder, usually).

Yoshida
Devers
Story
Casas
Turner
Hernandez
Verdugo
Segura
McGuire
That seems early in the lineup for Devers to me. I think he's third or fourth.
 

chawson

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I’d probably go something like this (hoping they land a Segura)…vs RH at least (vs LH I imagine
Casas sits for Refsnyder, usually).

Yoshida
Devers
Story
Casas
Turner
Hernandez
Verdugo
Segura
McGuire
Segura seems redundant with Arroyo handling the bulk of 2B. Segura also struggled against RHP, hitting .267/.326/.343 against them last year (and .242/.276/.305 away from that comfy Philadelphia park). Drury is a similar situation.

Profar would do the trick there, I’d think, unless we do something bigger. I’d imagine Bloom would have been less cavalier with Hoy Park if indeed Arroyo was the final 2B plan.
 

Ale Xander

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Seems like it; if Turner is the DH vs RH and 1B vs LH, and can back up 3B, it doesn’t leave anything for Dalbec (unless they trade Devers).
Dalbec is clearly the SS

Yoshida LF
Devers 3B
Turner DH
Casas 1B
Enrique CF
Story 2B
Verdugo RF
Dalbec SS
Wong/McGuire C
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Segura seems redundant with Arroyo handling the bulk of 2B. Segura also struggled against RHP, hitting .267/.326/.343 against them last year (and .242/.276/.305 away from that comfy Philadelphia park). Drury is a similar situation.

Profar would do the trick there, I’d think, unless we do something bigger. I’d imagine Bloom would have been less cavalier with Hoy Park if indeed Arroyo was the final 2B plan.
If Arroyo is the starter, we should be prepared for a lot of David Hamilton.
 

Ale Xander

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$14M looks worse than $11

Would have preferred Brantley whoin theory can playthe OF
 

E5 Yaz

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Good signing, as long as he doesn't run smack into the age-wall. I'm not sure what it means that the three biggest acquisitions this offseason are 35-plus, but it's worth noting
 

nvalvo

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Wait, how is that $22 million guaranteed? He gets the $8 million if he elects the player opinion or not?
It's guaranteed to Turner, not guaranteed to happen — in the same sense that Xander had 3/$60m "guaranteed" that he opted out of.
 

ngruz25

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Turner has only started 14 games at 1B in his career. That's out of nearly 900 starts. He also hasn't played an inning there since 2016. I wouldn't pencil him in as much more than emergency option there. I think he'll primarily DH and give Devers some days off in the field.

So, a tiny bit more useful than JD. Offensively, they're pretty much a wash. Turner is trending downwards, and so is JD. JD was marginally better last season, but he looked cooked at the end of the season, so who knows who's the better bat in 2023.
 

geoflin

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Turner > Brantley for current Red Sox because he bats right. Verdugo will have to play RF because Yoshida is not a good outfielder, I was hoping for a RH OF to be signed so Yoshida could DH.
 

nvalvo

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Turner has only started 14 games at 1B in his career. That's out of nearly 900 starts. He also hasn't played an inning there since 2016. I wouldn't pencil him in as much more than emergency option there. I think he'll primarily DH and give Devers some days off in the field.

So, a tiny bit more useful than JD. Offensively, they're pretty much a wash. Turner is trending downwards, and so is JD. JD was marginally better last season, but he looked cooked at the end of the season, so who knows who's the better bat in 2023.
Turner had a rough first half and a very, very good second half, FWIW.

Through June 15, he was hitting .211/.282/.343. Then he had an off day, and hit .333/.405/.518 the rest of the way. Not sure what he did on the off day!