Justin Turner returns to Dodgers with a 4-year deal

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers finalized a large portion of their holiday shopping on Friday, making official their contract with free agent third baseman Justin Turner, a four-year contract worth a reported $64 million.

He was reported to be closing in on the contract on Dec. 12.

Turner is the third major free agent signing this winter by the club, who also brought back Rich Hill with a three-year, $48 million deal on Dec. 5, and agreed to terms with closer Kenley Jansen on Monday.

The Dodgers haven’t yet announced the deal for Jansen.

The return of Turner was really a must for the Dodgers, who would have had to scramble to fill the void left by his production at third base.

Turner tied for the team lead with 27 home runs and 90 RBI in 2016, hitting .275/.339/.493 in a career-high 151 games. He was also a finalist for a National League Gold Glove Award at third base.

After hitting .260/.323/.361 in parts of five seasons with the Orioles and Mets, Turner was non-tendered by New York after the 2013 season. He signed with the Dodgers on a minor league contract before 2014, and has been one of the most productive players in baseball in the last three seasons.

From 2014-16, Turner hit .296/.364/.492, a 136 OPS+. Turner ranked 18th in the majors with a 138 wRC+ during that span, and ranked 24th among position players in fWAR (12.8).

Turner continued his production into the playoffs, hitting .286/.457/.514 with two home runs, a triple and eight RBI in 11 games. Dating back to 2015, Turner set a Dodgers franchise record by reaching base in 14 consecutive postseason games.

“I'm excited to return to the Dodgers for another four years,” said Turner. “Playing in Los Angeles has been special for me, and I want to continue to represent and give back to this community and bring our fans the championship they deserve.”

Turner will receive a $4 million signing bonus playable Dec. 31, then salaries of $12 million in 2017, $11 million in 2018, $18 million in 2019, and $19 million in 2020.

Turner turned 32 on Nov. 23.

The Dodgers have a full 40-man roster, and will need to make a corresponding move once Jansen’s contract becomes official.