Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Believes LA Captain Could Be An Outstanding Manager

Clayton Kershaw is all in on the idea of Justin Turner becoming a manager one day.

It's hard to believe, but Justin Turner is in his ninth year with the Dodgers. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, LA signed Turner as a free agent after the Mets cut him loose in the winter of 2013.

As we all know, Turner morphed from fringe major leaguer to All-Star caliber third baseman in LA. He's also shown up in some big playoff moments including his epic walk off three-run homer against the Cubs in the 2017 NLCS.

JT isn't a spring chicken anymore though. The 37-year-old is likely on the 16th tee box in his baseball career. Turner spoke with The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett this week and said he wants to play for as long as possible. Still, time could be working against the beloved Dodger.

Whenever Turner decides to retire, future Hall-of-Famer Clayton Kershaw believes he has another career in baseball waiting for him. 

“JT’s got a great pulse for the game. I think he’s got a great feel for baseball. He’s got a ton of instincts – that’s how he hits. He hits very instinctually. He is just a baseball guy. He’s a baseball guy. He’s just in it. He’s around it. So as far as that goes, he could do anything. I think manager would fit him well. I think he’d do that really well. He has the command of the clubhouse. I think he could do that if he wanted.”

In addition to Kershaw's reasons, Turner ubiquitous career arc allows him to relate to everyone in the clubhouse. From a bench player to a MVP-caliber cleanup hitter.

Turner's current contract could keep him in LA through the 2023 season. The last year of his current pact is a $16M club option.