Red Sox showed little interest in retaining two-time All-Star
Longtime sports journalist Peter Gammons reported Wednesday that the Boston Red Sox showed a lack of interest in retaining designated hitter Justin Turner this offseason.
The two-time All-Star signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox last January but exercised his player option in early November to enter free agency. Turner joined the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year, $13 million deal on Tuesday.
Turner heading north of the border without much of an effort from Red Sox brass to bring him back will likely cause some anger from fans, who are already fed up with the franchise's lack of spending in recent years. They don't need to be reminded of last offseason, when the franchise said goodbye to four-time All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts and 2018 World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi, among others.
Even during his age-38 season in 2023, Turner was not only a fan favorite, but one of Boston's best players.
The former NLCS MVP finished second on the team in RBI (career-high 96), runs scored (86) and total bases (254), among other categories, while slashing a healthy .276/.345/.455.
Turner was one of the most durable and versatile players on the roster as well.
Last summer, the veteran slugger ranked second on the Red Sox in games played (146), plate appearances (626) and at-bats (558) while playing three different positions in the field. Turner turned in a career-high 41 games at first base, adding 10 appearances at second base and seven at the hot corner.
It was reported last August that Boston nearly traded Turner to the Miami Marlins, so it's not a surprise that his stay in Beantown ended prematurely. The reported lack of effort from the front office is sure to garner some heat, though.
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