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Dodgers: Justin Turner contract demands with LAD revealed

Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Dodgers Way

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 23: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates the teams 6-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Three of the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field on October 23, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Justin Turner would like to get paid by the LA Dodgers, please.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one already: The 2020 offseason has been ridiculously quiet, only briefly alighted by various Dodgers championship-related parties.

Nobody is making moves. Nobody is talking moves. Columnists like Ken Rosenthal are so bored they’ve taken to asking whether the Rockies might want to trade the entire left side of their infield to the Dodgers for fun.

We understand if you’ve been lulled to sleep, or so distracted that you forgot there was still a chance Los Angeles could just keep things simple and reunite with Justin Turner, the third baseman who means more to their franchise than he would to any other suitor.

According to Boston Globe insider Pete Abraham, the Dodgers and Turner still maintain mutual interest in a reunion, and Turner’s target is three years.

As Abraham notes,

"“Turner has value in the market given his still potent bat and strong performance in the World Series. Dave Roberts and Mookie Betts have said Turner is the key to what has been a strong team culture.Betts said several times during the postseason that Turner sets the tone in the clubhouse. Intangibles, however valuable, are unlikely to merit a three-year commitment. But indications are a compromise can be reached.”"

At a certain point this offseason, especially in the wake of Turner’s post-World Series maskless celebration, it seemed an argument could be made for cutting bait with the veteran and shedding a potential problem.

However, it was also abundantly clear during that championship ceremony that the Dodgers bent the rules and bucked health regulations because of how much Turner meant to them. Was either side really willing to sever the partnership?

Though it takes Turner through the twilight of his career, you’d be hard-pressed to see the third baseman’s icon status being matched elsewhere, and a deal would be a drop in the bucket at any price with the Dodgers’ budget.

At worst, you have an elite bench bet at the tail end of the contract. This should be an easy compromise.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way for 4 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast twice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for eight years. Previously, he was a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.