Seattle Mariners acquire 1B/DH Justin Turner from Blue Jays
TORONTO, CANADA - JULY 26: Justin Turner #2 of the Toronto Blue Jays slides onto second base as he hits a double in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the Texas Rangers at Rogers Centre on July 26, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo b (Cole Burston / Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners are acquiring former All-Star first baseman Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league outfielder RJ Schreck, a source confirmed to FOX 13 Seattle.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the deal.
Turner, 39, is a two-time All-Star from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He twice finished in the top 10 of MVP balloting in 2016 and 2017. He has been in his first season with Toronto, where he's hitting .254 with 17 doubles, six home runs, and 31 RBI, with 39 walks and 60 strikeouts in 89 games played.
"Justin has been one of the most productive corner infield bats in the league for over a decade," Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. "With his track record at the plate and extensive experience in the postseason, he is a valuable addition to both our lineup and clubhouse."
Schreck, 24, was a ninth-round pick of the Mariners in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt University. He's a left-handed hitting outfielder who was recently promoted to Double-A Arkansas from Single-A Everett. Schreck was hitting .261 with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 44 RBI with 57 walks and 47 strikeouts in 78 games for the AquaSox before his promotion. He's played just eight games in Double-A.
The Mariners had reportedly been interested in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from Toronto instead as a potential fix for their first base issues, as well as Yandy Diaz from the Tampa Bay Rays. Landing Turner makes it seem as though the Mariners weren't going to be able to acquire either Guerrero or Diaz – at least not for prices they were comfortable with.
Turner has played first and third base defensively for the Blue Jays while also serving as a designated hitter. The Mariners were in need of veteran help at the position following their decision to designate Ty France for assignment last week.
Seattle reached a deal with the Cincinnati Reds to trade France in exchange for minor league catcher Andruw Salcedo earlier on Monday. The Mariners also included cash considerations in the deal with Cincinnati.
Salcedo has appeared in just seven games for Single-A Daytona in the Reds organization. He's in his fourth professional season, batting .246 with nine doubles, a triple, four home runs, and 25 RBI with 37 walks and 89 strikeouts.
Turner hasn't been the same player that shined throughout his stops with the New York Mets, Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. However, his .254 batting average is better than all Seattle position players Julio Rodríguez (.263) and Victor Robles (.379 in 31 games), and his .720 on-base-plus-slugging percentage is better than all Mariners except Robles (.1.007) and Cal Raleigh (.736).
The MLB trade deadline is at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday afternoon.