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Miami Marlins rumors: New 3B target

ByNeil Raymond|
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs after his single during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs after his single during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Miami Marlins may have found a new third base target.. though since his former team moved him to DH in 2022, he could be a better fit there instead. Who am I talking about?

Justin Turner. I have a suspicion that he’s not the Turner that most Miami Marlins fans wanted us to pursue, but apparently he’s the one we are. I have mixed feelings about pursuing him, so let’s see whether it makes sense to pursue him or not. I do think that other targets are more intriguing and that the trade route may be better for serious hitting upgrades.

Are the Miami Marlins again being cheap in a pursuit of an improved offense?

Justin Turner used to be a star. He broke out in 2016 as a late-bloomer at age 31. That season he batted .275/.339/.493 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2017, he batted .322/.415/.530 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI. In 2018, the then third baseman batted .312/.406/.518 and in 2019 he batted .290/.372/.509 with 27 home runs and 67 RBI.

2020 was a shortened season and Turner batted .307/.400/.460. 2021 saw him bat .278/.361/.471 with 27 home runs and 87 RBI, but the 2022 season was disappointing… he batted .278/.350/.438 with 13 home runs and 81 RBI. He’s now 38 years old and doesn’t seem to be able to consistently provide good defense at the hit corner. His Exit Velocity dropped from 90.9 last season to 89.5 this season.

Will Justin Turner decline further? This is what usually happens when a player ages. It seems a bit odd for the Miami Marlins to be pursuing him, as I don’t really see him being that productive. If it’s a one year deal, then there’s a chance that he’ll still be productive enough to be worth it. But where does he play? Playing third base means blocking Jordan Groshans from playing time. If he plays DH then does it mean that Garrett Cooper is back at first base?

I don’t really like this report, as it implies that the Miami Marlins are trying to save money instead of actually trying to bring in top hitters. This is becoming a bigger concern as we’re trying to make the playoffs.

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