Dodgers: Justin Turner announces he’s returning with joyous tweet

Justin Turner just had to wait for the week pitchers and catchers had planned to report to announce his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, didn’t he?

Man, that guy embodies the flair for the dramatic, even during the offseason.

Turner’s new contract with the Dodgers somehow went from the league’s clearest fait accompli to up in the air and back again. Did he really want a four-year deal? Could he actually be trying to soak up every last dollar from the Mets and Brewers?

It didn’t entirely add up — but it still felt spooky.

Well, never fear, Dodgers fans.

The team that staked its reputation on Turner at the tail end of Game 6 of the World Series, in an extremely 2020 celebration that will transcend eras, has chosen wisely, blowing past the luxury tax threshold to bring their de facto captain back.

Turner announced the deal himself — and we’re glad they let him do so.

At this point, no information about the financials of Turner’s deal should shock you, but it’s substantial.

Andrew Friedman and Co. locked their third baseman up for two years and over $30 million, which pushed Los Angeles over $253 million worth of payroll entering 2021.

In other words, it’s the kind of thing you do if you’d like to repeat as World Series champions, revenue be damned.

The last time we checked, it sometimes took a few unsavory expenditures to own the entire league.

Trevor Bauer wants to join the Dodgers? Great. We can fit that. JT wants to come home, too? Neat. We have no limits.

New York Yankees, you watching this?

Turner may not choose to wrap his career up after this two-year deal expires, at which point the Dodgers will probably attempt to go year-to-year, as teams often do with the stars they’re indebted to. And while Turner means more to this franchise than any other, he’s still an extremely effective player, slashing .307/.400/.460 in the shortened 2020 season before hitting .280 in the NLCS and .320 in the World Series.

Turner is the player who defines this championship team, with a flair for the dramatic all his own. You could’ve convinced yourself otherwise in a moment of weakness in January, but he was never leaving. And now it’s official.

Let’s run it back.

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