The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided not to pick up Justin Turner‘s club option for 2023, which means that he may have played his last game in a Dodgers uniform.
However, that does not mean that the Dodgers won’t try and retain him for 2023.
With his option being declined, he will be paid a $2 million buyout.
The option was worth $16 million.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked about the Turner situation and the Dodgers’ decision to not pick up his club option.
Friedman said that the hope is for the Dodgers to try and retain him on a new deal and that doing so would be a priority.
The #Dodgers also announced they have declined Justin Turner’s $16 million club option
That means they will pay his $2 million buyout, making him a free agent
They are expected to still try and re-sign him on a new deal. Andrew Friedman said it’s a “priority” to bring him back
— Jack Harris (@Jack_A_Harris) November 10, 2022
Turner Enters Free Agency
Turner has become a fixture in a Dodgers uniform.
After he was let go by the Baltimore Orioles, Turner was picked up by the Dodgers and instantly became a star.
This year, he earned the Roberto Clemente Award for his work in the Los Angeles community.
He and his wife, Kourtney, created the Justin Turner Foundation, a nonprofit organization which seeks to support children with critical illnesses, their families, and veterans who have fallen into homelessness.
The Dodgers should be able to retain him, but it is possible that he may have played his last game in Los Angeles.
If he ultimately walks in free agency, he leaves behind a lasting impact on the community in Los Angeles, including the Dodgers and their devoted fans.
It would appear though that Friedman plans on retaining Turner for at least one more year.
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Anonymous says
“After he was let go by the Baltimore Orioles, Turner was picked up by the Dodgers and instantly became a star..” Wrong on two fronts: when Baltimore let him go, he went to the Mets. After a few middling years as a utility man, they let him go. When he arrived with LA, he had a pretty good 350 AB year and then took off.