Dodgers ‘optimistic’ about latest Justin Turner update

The Dodgers are one of Justin Turner’s final four — and he’s probably coming back.

The Los Angeles Dodgers seem likelier to add Justin Turner with each day that passes — though if the DJ LeMahieu deal in the Bronx didn’t serve as an impetus for talks to pick up, then what will?

All offseason long, LeMahieu’s pact and the eventual Turner deal have felt like the free agent fits that were most likely to materialize, and though LA is still waiting for that finalized ink, nothing in the most recent update has changed our opinion on the process.

According to Jon Heyman, Turner’s market currently includes four finalists, all of which must be contenders, based on JT’s leaked stipulations. One is the Dodgers, one is the Blue Jays (duh), and two remain a mystery, though the fact that only two destinations continue to be named would lead you to believe they’re the real dueling front-runners.

Other than that? Well, nothing has changed, really.

The Dodgers would like Turner to settle at two years, then likely take Derek Jeter pillow contracts ad infinitum for as long as he wants to into retirement.

Turner would rather take care of the security now, thanks, adding a third (or possibly a fourth) year to take him into retirement.

Embarrassing to say, but it feels like in a pre-2018-or-so landscape, the Dodgers would have no problem taking Turner on for an additional season. But now, the luxury tax basically acts as a salary cap, there might be a work stoppage in 2022, and not a single major league team feels like taking on excess risk as the end of the pandemic appears over the horizon.

Sad, but true, and this whole conflagration of gibberish resulted in the Dodgers missing a golden opportunity to bring Turner back for good on literal Justin Turner Day, which fell on Friday.

We’re going to choose to remain optimistic through the process, too. After all, the Blue Jays have bigger, pitching-related fish to fry, and we’re the only other serious suitor.

But nothing’s done until it’s done, and neither side seems to have edged any closer during this long layoff.

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