4) Red Sox infielder Justin Turner could be traded if the team falls out of postseason contention
There's been a lot of talk about how Boston screwed up letting J.D. Martinez walk after his abysmal season because he's turned it around in Los Angeles and is an all-star again. As unfortunate as it is to see J.D. thrive again the second he left Beantown, Justin Turner has been no slouch as his replacement.
Turner has been primarily a DH this season, and he's slashed .288/.360/.461 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI. He has an .821 OPS and a 119 OPS+. He's been very good.
Turner is another guy who signed a two-year deal to come to Boston this past offseason. The only difference between Turner's and Martin's deals outside of the money is that Martin's second year is guaranteed while Turner's is only partially guaranteed. He has a player option worth $13.4 million for the 2024 season.
I have no idea whether he'll accept or reject the option. I'm leaning toward reject because of how well he's played, and I'm sure he can get a second guaranteed year again if he decided to test the market. Maybe even Boston would give it to him.
Rather than risk losing Turner for nothing, Boston can simply trade him and open up at-bats for others out of the DH spot. He's had a really solid year, and with the fact that he can play first base, third base, and even second base if needed, he should fetch something decent.
Turner has played in 86 postseason games and has an .830 OPS in playoff baseball. That's extremely valuable, and is another reason why other teams that need a DH or an infielder will go after him if made available.