MLB rumors: Red Sox might target Justin Turner; Cubs close to Drew Smyly reunion; Dodgers in on Seth Lugo

Most of the big-name free agents are off the board, but plenty of calendar remains in the 2022-23 MLB offseason. As such, there are also still plenty of rumors left in the 2022-23 MLB offseason. Speaking of which, you can find Sunday’s crop of rumors just below. 

While the Boston Red Sox have inked veteran closer Kenley Jansen and Japanese outfielder/DH Masataka Yoshida this winter, it’s pretty much been an offseason that doesn’t reflect the club’s vast revenues. That’s especially the case given the free-agent departure of homegrown shortstop Xander Bogaerts and the lack of any discernible movement toward an extension for star third baseman Rafael Devers. 

The market is now devoid of stars, so there’s not much the Sox can do to flip that particular script. However, they might be looking to dip into the middle class of FAs, as Jon Heyman reports that veteran third baseman Justin Turner is of interest to Boston. Heyman adds that Turner is thought to be seeking a two-year contract. Turner’s had a strong career, both offensively and defensively. However, he’s 38 and has shown significant signs of decline over the past two seasons. He should remain a useful player in 2023, but he’s not the kind of addition that would elevate the Sox into contention in the tough AL East. With Boston, Turner would likely see spot duty at third, DH, and perhaps first base. The Twins have previously been reported to be interested in Turner, as well. 

Fresh off their splash signing of shortstop Dansby Swanson, the Cubs are looking to shore up their rotation by re-upping with veteran left-hander Drew Smyly. ESPN reports that the Cubs and Smyly are close to a deal. Smyly, 33, made 22 starts for Chicago last season, and over that span of 106 1/3 innings he pitched to a 3.47 ERA with 91 strikeouts against 26 unintentional walks. Should the deal be finalized will rejoin a rotation that also includes Marcus Stroman, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon, and probably Justin Steele.

Veteran righty swingman Seth Lugo is of interest to the Dodgers as a rotation depth piece, Ken Rosenthal reports. The 33-year-old has started 38 games in parts of seven big league seasons for the Mets, but he’s made only seven starts (all in 2020) in the last four years. He has primarily been a reliever since 2018. The Dodgers have a full projected rotation at the moment, but with Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Noah Syndergaard in the mix there’s plenty of injury risk and uncertainty. As such, Lugo could wind up playing an important role should the Dodgers land him.