Dodgers Dugout: Justin Turner bids farewell to fans

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and unless you live in a cave, you know the really big, important news last week was the Dodgers officially cutting ties with ... Justin Turner.

Turner signed his contract with the Boston Red Sox on Friday and sent out a fond farewell to the Dodgers and their fans. A lot of people missed it because it happened the same day that the Dodgers designated Trevor Bauer for assignment.

In Boston, Turner will join a bunch of former Dodgers: Kiké Hernández, Kenley Jansen, Alex Verdugo and Chris Martin. So almost 20% of the Red Sox roster will be recent Dodgers.

“Seeing the different opportunities that were presented in front of me, I found it very intriguing,” Turner said at his introductory news conference Friday. “I got recruited pretty heavily by a lot of guys, both current and former. A lot of text messages and phone calls talking about how great it is to be a Red Sox. Kiké’s always in the middle of everything. He’s a really, really good friend of mine. I’ve obviously talked to him a lot about everything, not just baseball. To say he didn’t have a big part of this would be a lie.”

As far as what happened with the Dodgers?

“When you’re with a team that long and you’re going into free agency, you’re always waiting and hoping that they’re in play,” Turner said. “There’s a point that you realize this is a business. They had decisions they had to make and I had decisions I had to make and it just didn’t work out. Fortunately, I got to land in a place like Boston that has very historic roots in this game.”

Also Friday, Turner put out a statement to Dodger fans on social media:

“9 years ago I made a decision to come home, back to LA, and try to keep my career alive as a utility infielder for the Dodgers. I was excited for so many reasons, joining a historic franchise that saw players like Jackie, Koufax, Fernando, Drysdale, and Newcombe. Legends like Lasorda, Jaime, and Vin Scully. Not to mention the current cast of stars in Kershaw, Greinke, Beckett, Dre, Kemp, Kenleys, Gonzo, Hanley & Wilson. Oh and did I mention Don Mattingly, Tim Wallach, Rick Honeycutt, Davey Lopes and Mark McGwire were on the coaching staff too? I walked into a clubhouse everyday and had to remind myself that I belonged in this star-studded room. At the end of the day, I was just trying to make the club and prove to Ned Colletti that I was worth the gamble he took on me. And that’s where this chapter began.

“To say that my life took a turn for the better the day I put on a Dodger uniform is an understatement. I had no idea the opportunity I was going to have to leave my mark on this storied franchise. I grew from a 25th man, to an everyday 3rd baseman, to a two-time All-Star (thanks to you, the fans) to a World Series champion and the biggest accomplishment of all, the Roberto Clemente Award winner. I married my amazing wife, Kourtney, with a little help from ‘Reverend’ Orel Hershiser.

“We started our foundation and have been blessed to meet so many amazing people in the community, both those who needed uplifting and those with generous hearts who wanted to help impact others. All of this happened while being embraced by so many [Angelenos] and Dodger fans across the world. I can’t express how much putting on that Dodgers uniform has shaped my life in the best way possible.

“There aren’t enough thank-yous in a lifetime to express how grateful I am to every single person who was a part of making this chapter so special. My hope is that I was able to have just a fraction of the impact on you as you all have had on me. From ownership to the front office, coaches, strength and training staff, R&D, my teammates, the stadium workers, security guards, flight attendants, grounds crew, media, family, friends and most importantly the fans, THANK YOU. Thank you for embracing Kourt and I, thank you for your unconditional love, and thank you for making this post so incredibly difficult to write.”

Here’s where Turner ranks in L.A. Dodgers history:

Home runs, 10th (156)
Doubles, seventh (235)
RBIs, 10th (574)
Batting average, 10th (.296)
On-base %, eighth (.375)
Slugging %, 10th (.490)
OPS+: fifth (133)

Results of our poll asking who was the best third baseman in Dodgers history, after 11,549 votes:

Ron Cey, 56.9%
Justin Turner, 25%
Adrián Beltré, 14.3%
Billy Cox, 3.8%

In other news

The Dodgers designated Bauer for assignment Friday, meaning they have seven days to trade him or release him. No team is expected to trade for him. The Dodgers will have to pay the $22.5 million he is owed this season. However, if another team signs him, the amount they pay him will be deducted from what the Dodgers owe. And that brings the lengthy saga to an end. Let’s hope there is no sequel.

Missing

Which players on last year’s 111-win team (at the end of the season) won’t be on next season’s team? A look:

Batters
Hanser Alberto (1B, 2B, 3B, SS, RF): .244/.258/.365, two HRs, 15 RBIs

Cody Bellinger (CF): .210/.265/.389, 19, 68

Joey Gallo (LF): .162/.277/.393, seven, 23

Kevin Pillar (OF): 12 at-bats

Edwin Ríos (3B): .244/.293/.500, seven, 17

Justin Turner (3B): .278/.350/.438, 13, 81

Trea Turner (SS): .298/.343/.466, 21, 100

Tony Wolters (C): four at-bats

Pitchers
Tyler Anderson, 15-5, 2.57 ERA, 28 starts

Andrew Heaney, 4-4, 3.10 ERA, 14 starts

Tommy Kahnle, 2.84 ERA, one save, 12.2 IP

Craig Kimbrel, 6-7, 3.75 ERA, 22 saves

Chris Martin, 3-1, 2.46 ERA, one save, 24.2 IP

David Price. 2-0. 2.45 ERA, two saves

And who is missing from the 2020 World Series winning team?

Scott Alexander
Pedro Báez
Matt Beaty
Cody Bellinger
Dylan Floro
Terrance Gore
Kiké Hernández
Kenley Jansen
Joe Kelly
Adam Kolarek
Jake McGee
Joc Pederson
AJ Pollock
Edwin Ríos
Keibert Ruiz
Dennis Santana
Josh Sborz
Corey Seager
Ross Stripling
Justin Turner
Mitch White
Alex Wood

In case you missed it

Analysis: No high-priced help is coming. Why the Dodgers are betting on themselves

Hernández: Dodgers lost big on their Trevor Bauer bet. Will the number crunchers save them?

Complete coverage: Dodgers part ways with Trevor Bauer

And finally

Extended cut of Justin Turner’s walkoff homer in the 2017 NLCS. Watch and listen here.