Miami Marlins news: Another target gone

Neil 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)

Terms on Justin Turner with Red Sox, per source: Two years, $21.7M if he exercises player option for 2024, one year, $15M if he does not. Can also earn $200K each in ‘23 for 480, 500, 520, 540 and 560 plate appearances. Maximum $1M. Pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 19, 2022

Soooo should we remain patient as Kim Ng wants us to? Remember when signing Justin Turner looked realistic? He couldn’t be that expensive right? Well, he’s not coming to the Miami Marlins, he’s going to sign with the Boston Red Sox. What is going on?! Are there any positives here at all? What can we even expect when no one seems to want to sign with The Fish? Well, Kim Ng did sign another hitter to a Minor League deal.

The Miami Marlins missed out on yet another free agent target.

Justin Turner received way too much from the Sawx. Way too much. Turner broke out with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 at the age of 31. In 2016, Turner hit .275/.339/.493 with 27 home runs and 90 RBI. In 2017, he followed that production up with a .322/.415/.530 batting line, along with 21 home runs and 71 RBI. In 2018, Justin Turner batted .312/.406/.518 and in 2019 he batted .290/.372/.509, with 27 home runs and 67 RBI added to that production. He was a good hitter back in the day.

In the shortened 2020 season, Turner batted .307/.400/.460 and then in 2021 he hit .278/.361/.471 with 27 home runs and 87 RBI. Turner wasn’t as good during the 2022 season. Turner batted .278/.350/.438 with just 13 home runs and 81 RBI. The 38 year old next year is unlikely to be very productive in 2023, and certainly doesn’t look like a good fit defensively at third base. Turner’s Exit Velocity dropped from 90.9 last season to 89.5 this season on top of that.

1 year $7-8 million maybe, but $14 million?! A player option on top of that?! No wonder Boston’s Chaim Bloom is one of the least popular GM’s in the game. It’s safe to say that the Miami Marlins shouldn’t have matched that, and it was good that we didn’t. All of that said, it’s yet another free agent target that isn’t going to be on the 2023 roster.

The Miami Marlins did sign another hitter to a Minor League deal though…

Free-agent infielder Garrett Hampson in agreement with Marlins on minor-league deal, sources tell @TheAthletic. Non-tendered by Rockies.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 19, 2022

2B/CF Garrett Hampson is our latest signing. The speedster is a career .235/.296/.370 bat, who was non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies after batting .211/.287/.307 in 2022. It’s a solid signing for depth, but The Fish are still yet to meaningfully improve the offense.

Neil Raymond

Neil Raymond has been a lifelong Miami Marlins fan, with the 2003 playoff run being one of his favorite childhood memories. Neil has been called a "walking encyclopedia" for his knowledge of MLB statistics and the sport's history. He follows every game and actually invented his own statistic for player value on his side project BaseballAnalyzed.com. Writing for Fansided's Marlin Maniac since 2022, he also loves Fantasy Baseball and as such is an FSWA member. Neil also loves to travel, read and follow "Futbol" teams: Germany, Argentina, Greece, Inter Miami, Bayern Munich and NYC FC.