The Los Angeles Dodgers poached a talented slugger from the Boston Red Sox in free agency Saturday. Might the Red Sox return the favor?
The Red Sox are "heavily in (the) mix" for free-agent third baseman Justin Turner, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Sunday, adding that Turner is seeking a two-year deal.
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UPDATE (6:15 p.m. ET): Turner and the Red Sox have agreed to a two-year, $22 million contract, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Boston has had an underwhelming offseason to date, signing reliever Kenley Jansen and outfielder Masataka Yoshida in free agency but letting Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez sign elsewhere while missing out on most of the top players on the free-agent market.
Tomase: Let's not kid ourselves ... Rafael Devers is next to go
What's left on the market are players like Turner, who earned All-Star nods in 2017 and 2021 and has a proven track record of success but turned 38 in November. Turner hit a respectable .278 in 2022 with 13 home runs and 81 RBIs and likely would slot into the designated hitter role that Martinez vacated.
Boston Red Sox
Still, the Red Sox signing Turner wouldn't move the needle all that much and would raise questions about the long-term future of current third baseman Rafael Devers, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season.