Former Red Sox Slugger Calls Out AL West Team’s Front Office

Justin Turner, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, aired his grievances with the Seattle Mariners through a strongly worded rant aimed at their front office.

Turner joined the Mariners ahead of last season’s trade deadline after starting the campaign as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. The 16-year veteran was perceived as a lineup-booster for Seattle to help push the franchise over the edge and toward a deep title pursuit in the postseason. That never happened as the Mariners finished 85-77, falling short of the final American League wild-card spot by a hair.

Looking back, Turner didn’t feel as though the front office did enough.

“The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball,” Turner said, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “(It) just seems absurd to me.”

The Mariners finished with the second-worst batting average (.224) across baseball, only behind the 121-loss Chicago White Sox. Seattle struck out more than any other team — 1,625 times — and batted in the ninth-least amount of runs (642) of anyone. Turner, at 39 years old, couldn’t carry the load necessary to make up for that void all on his own.

Turner finished the season hitting .259 with 11 home runs — five in a Mariners uniform — and 55 RBIs. It marked the third destination, including Boston and Toronto, in which Turner has delivered locker room leadership without the outlet for it to transfer in a setting competing for a title.

That still doesn’t sit well with Turner, now a member of the Chicago Cubs after signing a one-year, $6 million deal in February.

“Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there, if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: What the hell are we doing?” Turned said. “Are you trying? … There’s not going to a better time to go for it. So, I don’t know what they’re doing. I’m very confused. It’s a head-scratcher for me.”

Seattle has flirted with competing for the American League West’s crown for the past few seasons but hasn’t had the cast needed to bring that vision to life. Turner, at this stage in his career, is more of a complimentary piece best suited for a team already built for the postseason. He’s played in 86 playoff games throughout his career, including 18 games in the World Series, so the resume speaks for itself.

Even though Turner considers Seattle a wasted opportunity, he’s already cemented his legacy as a World Series champion (2020) with the Los Angeles Dodgers.