If the Dodgers don’t re-sign Justin Turner, who plays third base?
Reporting from OXON HILL, Md. — This does not have to be complicated. The Dodgers want their third baseman of 2017 to be the same man who filled the role in 2016. And Justin Turner, the sole quality third baseman on the free-agent market, wants to return to Los Angeles.
But rare is the contract negotiation that unfolds in simple fashion. So as the Dodgers wait for Turner’s market to take shape, the organization must plan for alternatives should he sign elsewhere.
“I think there are very good infielders on the trade market,” the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, said on Monday evening at the winter meetings.
Turner celebrated his 32nd birthday last month, and underwent microfracture surgery last winter. He recovered to serve as a crucial component of the Dodgers, fortifying the middle of the lineup and taking a leadership role in the clubhouse. Despite his age and relatively brief track record of stardom, his appeal is obvious.
But his free-agent class is flooded with right-handed power hitters, and few clubs need a third baseman more than the Dodgers. The most likely scenario still involves him returning to Los Angeles. But what will the team do if he signs elsewhere?
The Dodgers have yet to tip their hand on their trade preferences. Fox Sports reported there has been contact with San Diego about Yangervis Solarte. And the club has already engaged with Kansas City about outfielder Lorenzo Cain and closer Wade Davis, so a discussion about former All-Star third baseman Mike Moustakas is reasonable. Moustakas missed most of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Among other possibilities, there is White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, who went from Cincinnati to Chicago in a three-team trade involving the Dodgers last winter. And St. Louis does not have a full-time spot for utility infielder Jedd Gyorko. Or the Yankees could try to dump Chase Headley and the $26 million left on his contract.
The Rays have shown little interest in moving Evan Longoria. Tampa Bay considers him the foundation of its franchise. He is under contract through 2020.
But Turner is, by far, the most reliable option. He supplied 27 home runs with an .832 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2016. He was the lone reliable right-handed hitter in the lineup, and his performance in the field only improved during his three years as a Dodger.
“Justin was a big part of our past success,” Friedman said. “And someone that we hope continues to be a part of what we do. That being said, he’s put himself in this position to go out and vet the market, and make the best decision for him and his family.
“It remains to be seen how that’s going to play out. Obviously, we are respectful of these guys on the free-agent market, and let them dictate the timing. It’s one of those things that comes back to alternatives, and making sure we’re as prepared as we can be.
“And I don’t just mean third base. I mean anywhere. Because the timing element of the off-season is far and away the trickiest part.”
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