The Boston Red Sox let Justin Turner walk in free agency to the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2024 season. He was then dealt to the Seattle Mariners just before the trade deadline.
Now, as a free agent, time will tell if he was just a rental or a worthy acquisition for multiple seasons. In a Bleacher Report article predicting the Opening Day starting lineups for each MLB team next season, Joel Reuter predicted the Mariners would sign Turner as their starting designated hitter. He slotted him into the No. 4 spot in the lineup.
The Mariners have a ton of right-handed hitters who could serve as platoon specialists, so it may be difficult to justify re-signing a full-time designated hitter like Turner, but he was solid in his short stint with them. Turner is 40 years old now as well, so it is reasonable for him to lose a step or two.
Either way, he has been known in the past as a great culture guy and won a ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2020. Turner was good in his lone season with the Red Sox, hitting 23 home runs and posting an .800 OPS. It would be fun, but a Boston reunion is unrealistic for a younger team that missed the playoffs by a few games last season. A team like the Mariners, who were just one game out of making the postseason, makes more sense.