Dodgers: Pros and Cons of re-signing Justin Turner next offseason

Con: (Let him walk!): Turner might prove too expensive

While the Dodgers are well-positioned against the luxury tax threshold in 2021, with close to $100 million in projected wiggle room, the price to re-sign Justin Turner could prove too expensive over the long-run to justify.

Obviously, economic conditions will dictate how the 2021 market looks due to the fallout of the novel coronavirus, so luxury tax figures could change, and players, like Turner, could be had at a discount; but re-signing Turner to a long-term deal could impact the Dodgers’ financial flexibility down the road when players like Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager are seeking new deals, and arbitration-eligible stars like Cody Bellinger become more expensive.

If the Dodgers find a way to re-sign Mookie Betts to a long-term deal, that obviously won’t be a cheap contract. A big part of the team’s success under president Andrew Friedman has been building a competitive roster without overloading the payroll with oversized contracts.

If Turner is seeking a four, or five-year deal to take him into his forties, that could be too long of a window for the team to tie up their payroll funds.