Dodgers Offseason: LA Gets Slight Edge With JD Martinez Over Justin Turner
Losing fan favorite Justin Turner was painful. Turner gets to continue his baseball life with the Red Sox, but at-least J.D. Martinez came to the Dodgers in return.
Turner is three years older than Martinez and was an All-Star last in 2021 while Martinez was an All-Star the last two seasons. On paper it seems the Dodgers got the better end of the deal despite the dismay from fans.
It truly became the end of an era for the Dodgers who now look to their young studs and cheap additions to lead the way. The face value of bringing in Martinez and losing out on Turner was enough for pundits to believe the Dodgers made the right move (via Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield, ESPN).
ESPN gave the Dodgers a B grade and the Red Sox a C grade.
...I guess given the difference in age, I would give Martinez the edge on bounce-back potential or at least keeping level, and getting him on a one-year deal as opposed to two is an advantage.
The Dodgers have been invested in their players to reset the market on short term deals. In hindsight this seems like the safer option as the Dodgers continue to explore what other options are left.
The Red Sox can also land a potential veteran star in Turner who looks to continue playing at a high level. Clearly something is brewing for the Dodgers with all the money they have leftover and is one worth keeping an eye on with all the one-year contracts.
