It sounds like the Toronto Blue Jays may be looking to land a former member of the Boston Red Sox.
Toronto has been very active this offseason but hasn’t been able to get a major deal done. The Blue Jays were linked to both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto but missed out on the two stars despite heavy interest.
The Blue Jays won 89 games last season and aren’t too far away from competing for a World Series title. Toronto has been looking to add a steady bat into the middle of the lineup and one player they have shown interest in is former Red Sox fan-favorite slugger Justin Turner, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.
“So far this off-season, the Toronto front office has shown some interest in a wide range of DH candidates, including (Joc Pederson), Rhys Hoskins, J.D. Martinez, Joey Votto, Justin Turner and others,” Nicholson-Smith said. “And since the Blue Jays would benefit from multiple hitters, a deal with Pederson wouldn’t necessarily rule out adding a second bat-first player, like Turner, for instance.”
The two-time All-Star thrived in Boston but looks like he will be playing elsewhere in 2024. Turner opted out of his contract with the Red Sox and has been a hot commodity in free agency.
This isn’t too surprising. He was impressive last year with 23 home runs and a career-high 96 RBIs. Plus, he immediately became a leader in the Red Sox’s clubhouse after signing as a free agent last year.
At this point, it isn’t clear if the Blue Jays will land him, but they have at least shown interest in a move.