Blue Jays interested in signing two former All-Stars in free agency: report
The Toronto Blue Jays could be adding some veteran star power to their roster sooner rather than later.
The Blue Jays have “sincere interest” in former All-Stars and current free agents J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
The Blue Jays have sincere interest in free agents J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner, whom Bo Bichette mentioned in a recent @FAN590 interview.
Martinez (.880 OPS) and Turner (.766) both produced against RHP last year, which overrides the Jays' slight preference to add LHH.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 29, 2024
The two batters were also mentioned by Bo Bichette in a recent interview. The current Blue Jays batter brought up both players as names that he would like to see the team target and who he felt could help the team.
Turner is 39 years old and played last season for the Boston Red Sox after spending nine seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s a right-handed batter that can play a few different spots in the infield, mostly on the corners.
Last year, Turner hit 23 home runs and batted .276. He has received MVP votes on three different occasions and was last named an All-Star in 2021.
Morosi also reported that Turner’s decision could be coming as soon as this week.
Martinez’s career path took an opposite route from Turner’s, as he played many years for the Red Sox before signing a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers last year. The 36-year-old hit 33 home runs and slashed .271 for the West Coast club during the 2023 season.
The right-handed batter has been named an MLB All-Star for three consecutive seasons. The Blue Jays are very familiar with the player due to the many years that he spent in the AL East.
Both players offer veteran bats that can hit for power. Combined, the two players have appeared in more than 3,000 MLB games and hit for more than 500 home runs over their careers.
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