MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

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Turner Back in Blue

The Dodgers are bringing back their third baseman, Justin Turner, inking the 36-year-old to a two-year, $34 million pact with a third-year team option. Los Angeles is trying to become the first back-to-back World Series champions in two decades and Turner is part of that plan. Last season he hit .307 with four home runs and 23 RBI in 42 regular-season games. Over his seven years with the club, the California native has averaged better than a 139 OPS and has a lifetime postseason batting average of .295.

And although the MLB odds are revealing the Dodgers as the favorites to win the National League pennant again, and return as World Series champs, there was another playoff contender reportedly in hot pursuit of Turner and it is rumored that the Brewers offered more money than LA to woo Turner to Milwaukee. Now that Turner is off the market, the Brewers’ brass will have to look elsewhere for a player to man the hot corner. Luis Urias is currently in the starting role but the Brewers would prefer another solid stick in their lineup as opposed to the lifetime .226 hitter.

However, Urias is still only 23-years-old with plenty of time to add to his offensive arsenal. But whether Milwaukee has the patience to take a chance on him developing remains to be seen, particularly when bringing back Jedd Gyorko or signing free agent Mike Lamb remain options.

Yankees Sign a Veteran…But Not Gardner

The Yankees are committed to remaining under this year’s $210 million luxury-tax threshold due to losses suffered last year that were rumored to be in excess of $250 million due to the global pandemic. And therein lies the rub with regards to lifelong Yankee, and current free agent, Brett Gardner. He is a fan favorite, a dirt dawg, and a clubhouse presence that any team would want to retain.

However, money is an issue and New York decided to buy him out of his most recent contract with the team for $2.5 million instead of exercising their $10 million option. The initial feeling was that Gardner and the Yankees would end their 13-year relationship and that would be that. Yet, there are signs that Gardner could return and if you listen to Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, then it would appear Gardner has a big fan in a powerful seat.

“I love Brett Gardner,” Cashman said on ESPN radio in December. “He’s been everything you could ever want since he was drafted and he’s as tough as they come. He’s great in that clubhouse. I’d love to partner back.”

Because Gardner is apparently too rich for the Yankees’ blood, they signed power hitter Jay Bruce to a minor league contract with an opportunity to make the big club as a left-handed bat in the lineup. It’s a precautionary measure in case Gardner cannot be convinced to come back at much less than he was making last year and one that has little downside for the Yanks.

JBJ Back in Beantown?

Jackie Bradley Jr. became an unrestricted free agent for the first time…at the worst time. JBJ is on the wrong side of 30 and is entering the market after the league was financially decimated by the global pandemic. Naturally, his agent, Scott Boras, is whistling past the graveyard and demanding a team pony up big bucks, long term, for his client. But that’s unlikely to happen because as good as Bradley Jr. is in the field, his stick falls short at the plate.

Nevertheless, there is a possibility that he could return to Boston, but if so, it would have nothing to do with the Red Sox recently dealing fellow outfielder, Andrew Benintendi, to the Royals in a three-team swap. At least that’s what Boston’s chief baseball officer, Chaim Bloom, says.

“I don’t think meaningfully, but I don’t know that that should be news. As far as the composition of our roster, you can look at it very similarly with a very different profile of player, but still someone who fits a similar niche on the club. We remain hopeful that we’ll be able to find a fit with Jackie and we also recognize that that may not happen. We’re going to stay engaged there and see how that plays out, but the two were somewhat separate for us as we looked at this because the fit with Cordero was so clean in terms of how we put our roster together,” said Bloom.

If Bradley does come back it will have to make financial sense for the Sox which would mean a two-year-deal in the $8 million per annum neighborhood that he made last season. Despite his .239 batting average, JBJ’s defensive skill set is gold-glove caliber and a team can never have too many of those.