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TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays have added some much-needed pop to their lineup by agreeing to terms with designated hitter Justin Turner on a one-year contract, a baseball source confirmed Tuesday.
The 39-year-old Turner, who hit .276 with 23 homers and 96 RBIs last season for the Boston Red Sox, would fill a void at DH in Toronto after the departure of Brandon Belt to free agency.
The Blue Jays have yet to confirm the agreement, which is expected to be worth US$13 million with an additional $1.5 million in potential bonuses.
Turner is a proven playoff performer who will likely slot into the heart of the Toronto batting order, which struggled at times last year. He served as DH for most of last season but also spent some time in the infield, mostly at first base.
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Over his 15-year career with the Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, Turner has a .288 average with a .363 on-base percentage and .465 slugging percentage.
He reached the playoffs in nine straight years (2014-22) with the Dodgers. Turner was named a co-winner of the NLCS MVP award in 2017 and won a World Series in 2020.
It has been a rather quiet off-season for the Blue Jays, who were swept in the wild-card round for the second straight year and haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.
Toronto re-signed centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier to a $10.5-million, one-year deal last month and inked infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a $15-million, two-year contract.
There were reports this month that Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodriguez had agreed to a four-year deal but the club has not confirmed the signing.
Turner declined his $13.4-million player option with the Red Sox and received a $6.7-million buyout instead.
The Blue Jays will kick off spring training on Feb. 15 when pitchers and catchers report in Dunedin, Fla. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 20, four days before the team’s pre-season opener against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Toronto will begin the 2024 regular season on March 28 at Tampa Bay.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2024.
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© 2024 The Canadian Press