On Monday night, Justin Turner returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since 2022, when the Dodgers declined his player option for 2023 and ended his nine-year tenure in LA.
Since leaving, Turner has spent his time between three organizations, first on a one-year deal with the Red Sox last season, and then another one-year contract with the Blue Jays for 2024, which Toronto then flipped into a trade for a minor league outfielder at the deadline.
Turner will be a Seattle Mariner through the rest of the season, his age-39 campaign.
He hasn’t spoken about an intention to retire after this year, but during his recent visit to Dodger Stadium, he did say that he’d like to end his career as a Dodger one way or the other.
He didn’t specify whether it’d involve a final season in LA (okay, so he’s probably not retiring at the end of this year), or a one-day deal like the one Matt Kemp signed just a few weeks ago, but he wants to retire as a Dodger. He added that it’s not really up to him, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Dodgers fan who wouldn’t want to see him retire with the team.
LA fan favorite Justin Turner professes desire to retire with Dodgers upon return to Dodger Stadium
Turner’s been having what is, for him, a down year, though he’s still batting a respectable .248 with a .703 OPS.
In the 11 years he’s played over 100 games, it’s his worst line by far, but it also marked the first time he’s been traded since he became an everyday player in 2015, and T-Mobile is notoriously unfriendly to power hitters like Turner.
In the grander scheme of things, Turner is also baseball’s oldest major league position player, but he’s still faithfully hitting homers and chugging along with clear intentions to keep playing.
It’s unlikely that the Dodgers would be able to take Turner back, even if they wanted to.
Freddie Freeman is holding onto first base through 2027, Max Muncy is at third through 2025 with a club option for 2026, and Shohei Ohtani will DH for the rest of his career.
However, a one-day contract upon retirement definitely isn’t impossible, and the Dodgers should make that happen.
Turner was a two-time All-Star and MVP candidate, 2017 NLCS MVP, and 2020 World Series winner with the Dodgers.
If Turner wants to retire as a Dodger, the Dodgers should do what they can to facilitate that. He’s definitely earned it.
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Source: New York Post
