Sox management are fruitcakes. This guy is a 3 years older, significantly inferior version of JD Martinez and they're paying $5mm more for him. Henry has to have some complicated hedge fund trade whereby he makes more if they lose.

This guy is a 3 years older, significantly inferior version of JD Martinez

Well he and JD had essentially the same OPS+(with JD fading at the end and Turner getting better) and Bref reckons Turner was ok with the leather, so I'm not sure where you are seeing "significantly inferior"

You have been going on about Henry selling the team since 2002. Now I can't say for sure another owner may have been lucky enough to engineer 5! titles over the last 20 years, but I'm pretty sure that would not have happened so I'm pretty happy with the 4 they have won so far.

Now, like most fans, I'm a bit perplexed as to what their overall plan is. Personally I would've kept Renfroe and paid Schwarber(2 guys who liked playing in Boston). But then again I'm still angry they didn't offer Beltre decent money after the glorious single year he spent in Boston.

Sox management are fruitcakes. This guy is a 3 years older, significantly inferior version of JD Martinez and they're paying $5mm more for him. Henry has to have some complicated hedge fund trade whereby he makes more if they lose.

Turner is signed to take over 3B after they trade Devers (probably at mid-season). If its not that, they're inscrutable or incompetent.

Three different reports on Turner's contract:

Jon Heyman: $14m in 2023, $8m player option in 2004

Alex Speier: $8.3m in 2023, $11.4m player option in 2024

Ken Rosenthal: $15m in 2023, $7.7m player option in 2024.

So if Turner turns into a pumpkin in 2023, the team is going to be paying him between $7.7m and $11.4m in 2024.

If he has a strong year, they will pay him between $8.3m and $15m for a one-year deal in 2023.

Turner will be 38 next season. His greatest value is that he is a slightly above-average hitter who can play a decent 3B or 1B. Basically, if Bobby Dalbec had worked out, he'd be playing this role. But you could argue that the two positions where the Red Sox are the most set for 2023 are...3B and 1B. And if you're going to use Turner as the primary DH, then this seems like a poor use of Turner - it is the fact he can play a passable 3B and 1B that makes him more valuable than, say, JD Martinez.

I am so confused by what the Red Sox are doing right now. The team says they couldn't afford to pay players like Bogaerts or Betts...but then they keep pissing away $10 million here and there: Jansen ($2/$32), Hernandez (1/$10), Turner (~2/$22?), Chris Martin (2/$17.5)...and these guys are old. Either these are "bridge" guys, trying to help buy a few more years of decent W/L record while the farm system continues to recover from the Dombrowski years; or the team genuinely thinks guys like this help the team fill in the blanks for a playoff run.

The one aspect about this deal that gives me pause is the Dodgers didn't pick up his $16 million option. I trust their player evaluation skills more than I trust the Red Sox.

Turner is signed to take over 3B after they trade Devers (probably at mid-season). If its not that, they're inscrutable or incompetent.

I have zero doubt Turner is 3B next season, possibly by Opening Day. This signing tells me Devers is all but traded now, perhaps with Sale to get out from under that contract? Then they can be the Pirates for a few years and try to buy up any FAs still remaining in 2025. Good times.

I am so confused by what the Red Sox are doing right now. The team says they couldn't afford to pay players like Bogaerts or Betts...but then they keep pissing away $10 million here and there: Jansen ($2/$32), Hernandez (1/$10), Turner (~2/$22?), Chris Martin (2/$17.5)...and these guys are old. Either these are "bridge" guys, trying to help buy a few more years of decent W/L record while the farm system continues to recover from the Dombrowski years; or the team genuinely thinks guys like this help the team fill in the blanks for a playoff run.

This is exactly what a team would do if its owners were trying to sell. You don't want the franchise to tank, but you also do not want to have a bunch of long term costs associated with the franchise because that would also affect the sale price.

Yeah, FSG basically putting Liverpool up for sale is probably a massive red flag that the Red Sox will follow in short order.

This guy is a 3 years older, significantly inferior version of JD Martinez and they're paying $5mm more for him.

Turner has hit better than Martinez over the last 4 years, projects slightly better, and can actually play in the field. On a one-year deal, he's a much better get.

You don't want the franchise to tank, but you also do not want to have a bunch of long term costs associated with the franchise because that would also affect the sale price.

Don't new owners get an advantage on accelerated depreciation of players contracts? I just read something about that in regards to Steve Cohen's willingness to spend big.

Three different reports on Turner's contract:

The 2nd one doesn't really make sense unless there's something like a $2 M signing bonus not included in the $8.3 and something like a $3 M buyout if the option isn't exercised. It wouldn't surprise me if that's the disconnect here -- that it's something like 1/$14-15 guaranteed or a player option that takes it to 2/$22. The detail of the structure gets lost -- could well be something like $11 in 2023 with an $11 player option for 2024 with a $4 M "buyout."

#11 is that a thing -- a buyout if a player option isn't exercised? I've heard of a buyout to get out of a club option, but not when a player doesn't exercise his option. What would the team be buying out at that point?

I realize you can put pretty much anything in a contract so you may be right.

#11 is that a thing -- a buyout if a player option isn't exercised? I've heard of a buyout to get out of a club option, but not when a player doesn't exercise his option. What would the team be buying out at that point?

Yes, it's a thing, although "buyout" is probably a misnomer.