Justin Turner Mexican League: 41-Year-Old Rakes for Tijuana Toros
Justin Turner Mexican League has become the new chapter for a 41-year-old former MLB star who could not find a guaranteed contract, a minor league deal, or even a spring training invite from any of the 30 major league clubs this year. He is now with the Tijuana Toros, still playing after 17 seasons in the majors and still looking like a hitter who belongs in the box.
Tijuana Toros and Wilmer Flores
Turner said he was surprised by the market. “I was kind of shocked,” he said, and added, “To not get a non-roster invite, that was tough and disappointing.” Before landing in Tijuana, he called several teams and asked to be signed.
His move placed him back beside Wilmer Flores, another established big leaguer, on a Toros roster that already carries 14 players with MLB experience. The Mexican Baseball League allows teams up to 20 foreign-born players on a 38-man roster, a setup that keeps the circuit stocked with former major leaguers and gives clubs room to build around familiar names.
Turner at Toros Mobil Park
On Tuesday in Tijuana, a white Maserati outside Toros Mobil Park signaled Turner’s arrival. Inside, he was talking about a career that has outlasted most of his peers and about how he sees the final stretch of it.
“I’ve always said I’m going to play as long as I can and make someone rip a jersey off me,” he said. “I love playing, I love being around guys, love being around the cage.” He added, “I still feel really good in the box.”
That is the friction point in this story: Turner is still producing in a league full of former MLB players, but no major league club wanted him on a guaranteed deal, a minor league contract, or even in camp. He addressed that gap himself, saying, “I know where the game’s going, and a lot of weight is put into a data sheet. Part of my tool set that I bring, you won’t find on a data sheet. I knew that, at some point, those opportunities were going to dry up, but I didn’t think it was going to be not even a non-roster invite.”
A veteran still choosing baseball
Turner’s career still carries the resume that made this turn striking: nine seasons in Los Angeles and 34.6 bWAR there, plus two All-Star selections over a 17-year run. He is now playing a two-hour drive from the stadium where he became a fan favorite, an All-Star and a World Series winner, and he knows what he is leaving behind.
“Supposedly, this is a Padres stadium, usually, but I’ve seen a ton of Dodger fans down here,” he said at Toros Mobil Park. “I tell you what, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a Dodger ticket or a Padre ticket.” The move has put him in front of familiar faces in a different setting, but the message is simple: baseball still has a place for him, and he plans to keep playing until someone takes the uniform away.
