St. Louis Cardinals Expressing Interest in Justin Turner
By Travis Koch
Free agent Justin Turner, is gaining interest from the St. Louis Cardinals. Is Turner a good fit for the St. Louis Cardinals?
The St. Louis Cardinals have flown under the radar this offseason. As a matter of fact, they’ve flown under the radar all year. Cardinals’ players were forced to watch the postseason from their couches this season, a result of the team’s first playoff omission since 2010.
The Cards are in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in recent memory, they are struggling to find an identity. Starting pitching is generally the team’s most relied upon weapon, however this year, it was unimpressive. The St. Louis staff ranked in the middle of the pack in the NL in 2016, sporting a very average 4.08 ERA. Another sure-fire Cardinal staple-point is a good, fundamental defense. Not this year. The Cardinals committed 107 errors in 2016, the fifth most in the league. They struggled in uncharacteristic ways and fell below their usual standards.
Perhaps they were just overshadowed by the Chicago Cubs, but the Cardinals seemed to have had a very ordinary season. They need a big name player, someone who can drive the ball over the fence and take command of the lineup. By golly, they need someone who can sell tickets.
That being said, why not inquire upon one of the more underrated players in the MLB?
Per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, the St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly showing interest in free agent Justin Turner. Turner spent the last three years owning the hot corner for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Those three years were the best of Turner’s career. In 2016, Turner slashed .275/.339/.493 with a career-high 27 home runs. He also neared the 100-RBI mark for the first time, driving in 90 baserunners. Turner just turned 32-years-old last Wednesday. He is clearly in the prime of his career, thus, there is no better time for him to hit free agency.
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St. Louis will have plenty of competition in their pursuit of Josh Turner. High-contact, everyday players are a dime a dozen in today’s game. Any team in need a of complementary bat should show interest in Turner. He’ll get a healthy contract wherever he goes. The Cardinals could have a money dilemma. Their primary target this offseason is an outfielder. They would have to find a way to sign both Turner and a competitive outfielder under the same salary cap, or else forfeit one for the other.
A nice opportunity presents itself in St. Louis. Turner would have his chance to play a crucial role in the middle of the Cardinal lineup. He’d likely bat somewhere between 2nd-5th in the lineup, earning the support of Matt Carpenter, Stephen Piscotty and Aledmys Diaz around him. Turner would provide additional power to what was a sneaky, power offense in 2016. Plus, he’d be a nice upgrade offensively and defensively from Jhonny Peralta.
Speaking of Peralta…he has to go. The contingency on a Turner signing is a Peralta departure. St. Louis would have to either trade Peralta, or release him. The 34-year-old Peralta still has value. He has enough offensive ability to spur a deal with someone. He’s not quite the athlete he once was, therefore, an American League team may be most suitable as Peralta can then slot into a DH role. The Cardinals would ultimately be upgrading from a regressing Peralta to a rising Turner.
Maybe not the biggest name in baseball, but Justin Turner has become a notable name in MLB. He’s a great clubhouse guy and a selfless player. Vis a vis, a perfect fit for the Cardinals.
The California native may choose to stay on the West Coast should the Dodgers or Angels offer him; however, St. Louis is certainly a great card to have on the table.