Blue Jays' Justin Turner Traded Mid-Game, Heads Back Out West

Justin Turner started Monday's game for the Toronto Blue Jays against the Baltimore Orioles, but was pulled in the bottom of the second inning, as he was traded, in-game, to the Seattle Mariners.

The Seattle Mariners are acquiring veteran Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 29, 2024

The Mariners have been looking for hitting for the past couple of months, as their offense has been a disaster all season, sitting 28th in the majors in OPS and 29th in average.

They added Randy Arozarena in their first significant trade, now have pulled in a professional hitter of 16 major league seasons in Turner. He has a World Series ring, two All-Star nods and a career .286 batting mark with a 124 OPS+. This season, Turner is hitting .254 with a 106 OPS+ and six dingers.

In return, the Blue Jays get double-A outfielder RJ Schreck. He was the Mariners' 29th ranked prospect. He was batting .250 across two levels this season, with an .836 OPS and 12 home runs. The 24-year-old was a 9th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

The Mariners will pick up the remainder of Turner's $13M contract (over $4M).