Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Veteran third baseman Justin Turner is in “limbo” in terms of his baseball future, and the former Met has left the door open for a potential return to Queens this winter.
Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, who spoke to Turner after he received the Roberto Clemente Award for 2022 on Monday, the 37-year-old didn’t shoot down the idea of potentially re-joining the Mets when it was mentioned to him. The Dodgers hold an option on Turner for the 2023 season at $16 million, but he has yet to hear anything back on his own personal future.
It will cost LA $2 million should they decide to buy out the third baseman.
If the Dodgers decline the option, then Turner returning to Citi Field for the 2023 season is an intriguing option. The veteran is a solid option at third base and designated hitter. He mostly DH’ed last year, though he logged over 500 innings at third and held his own. He slashed .278/.350/.438 with an .788 OPS in 2022 and put up 2.4 fWAR over 532 plate appearances.
Turner hit 13 home runs and 36 doubles during the regular season for the Dodgers with 81 RBI, while he also walked 50 times and struck out on just 89 occasions. Granted, he did endure his worst offensive production last year since joining the Dodgers in 2014, but he enjoyed a hot second-half of the season and proved his worth in a DH spot.
Able to provide some pop from the middle of the lineup and passible defense at the hot corner, Turner would be a good option for the Mets to round out their right-handed designated hitter needs. Not to mention the fact that the two-time All-Star knows what it takes to win a World Series and he would add some valuable experience to the clubhouse.
He would be a good fit for a Mets team that needs depth in the lineup given Eduardo Escobar‘s overall struggles at third. Escobar enjoyed a red hot September but he hit just .240/.295/.430 on the year. Turner could be a good platoon option at the hot corner with Escobar, while he would also be a decent candidate for the DH spot too–another position the Mets struggled to get production from in 2022.
Plus, Turner knows what it takes to play in New York. He spent four years in Queens and was a valued member of the Mets organization, and his production has only increased since he left the team. With this team very much in win-now mode but with a lot of work still to be done to improve the roster, adding a player of Turner’s ilk who knows what it takes to go deep in October and can provide solid offense. Turner would also be well liked in the clubhouse and in the stands, and he would add a different dimension to a lineup that left a lot to be desired in the postseason.
