6:15pm: Turner will earn $1MM if he makes the MLB roster, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
2:47pm: The Dodgers have agreed to sign infielder Justin Turner, reports MLBTR's Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). Turner, 29, is a Legacy client. He gets a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.
Most of Turner's big league time has been spent with the Mets, who non-tendered him this year. Since receiving 487 plate appearances and slashing .260/.334/.356 in 2011, Turner has seen less regular action. In 214 plate appearances last year, he put up a .280/.319/.385 triple-slash — good for a precisely league-average 100 OPS+.
Turner's versatility gives him a chance to crack the MLB roster as a utility infielder. Alternatively, Turner could battle for more regular time at second if Alexander Guerrero stumbles. The right-handed swinging Turner will presumably compete with lefty Dee Gordon, veteran switch-hitter Chone Figgins, and a pair of fellow righties in Justin Sellers and Brendan Harris. Though defensive metrics have not liked Turner's work at second, he grades out as roughly average on the left side of the infield, where he has spent most of his time over the last two seasons.
Low risk, backup infielder. The Doddgers* got a respectable battle for the bench in spring training. Just hope its not an MLB deal, which it shouldn’t be.
Why not? Three respectable seasons with the Mets.
It is a minor league deal, per Dylan Hernandez.
Well, that’s good for the Dodgers. Just wondering why anyone would say that he’s not MLB contract material.
Concerning injury history off a down year, isn’t great with OBP, no power, Dodgers already got decent bench options, I just didn’t see them giving him MLB deal off a 2 years which he didn’t touch 250 PA in either. Decent bench bat, MLB contract worthy, just not with the Dodgers.
Actually the Dodgers don’t have such great bench options, at least as far as utility infielders are concerned. Not sure what you mean by a down year. Looks like Turner had the best year of his career in 2013, by most measures. Power isn’t what you look for in a utility infielder anyway. Versatility is what gets you hired.
Not sure I’d agree with the assessment that Dee Gordon, Justin Sellers, Chone Figgins and Miguel Rojas represent decent bench options… and I’m a Dodger fan.
The Dodgers have decent bench options?! Are you aware of something that isn’t public knowledge?
I’m surprised he couldn’t find a major league deal, but he may have wanted to play in L.A. and recognized his competition wasn’t that strong. He’s from and still lives in the L.A. area, and his wife reportedly has friends in the Dodgers front office. I’d say he has a pretty good chance of making the Opening Day roster.
I don’t really know the player, but from looking at the outside of the package, he seems like exactly what the doctor ordered, with the departure of Hairston and Punto.
True story. I was sad to see him go. He’s pretty darn good off the bench. If he makes the big league roster, he won’t disappoint.
Still don’t understand why the mets didn’t pay turner 800,000! Guy batted 2.80, play all over the infield, and good guy to have in the club house! I don’t understand why they non -Tender him!
Supposedly, there were personality differences between him and management. Which seems absurd to me (as an outsider); everyone on the team seemed to love him and so did the fans. Just bizarre that they’d let something that silly prevent them from retaining a quality backup, especially when they resign guys like Quintanilla, who is awful.
Josh Satin > Justin Turner and you can’t really have both.
While Satin is better than Turner you can have both. Turner can play Shortstop.
He can on an emergency basis, but the point is you only have 5 bench spots, (1 being the backup C), you don’t want to allot your bench spots to two very similar players. Not to mention, the Mets probably expected Tejada to be the backup, not the starter.
He’s expected to be the starter now. It’s his to lose
Isn’t 2B Guerrero’s job to lose?
Letting Turner go was a mistake by the Mets. In essence his spot has been taken by Quintanilla, and Turner was far more valuable. To have dropped him when they didn’t know that they’d be able to find a better alternative than Tejada to start was short-sighted. If they’d been able to upgrade and use Tejada as the backup it’s a different story.
Anthony Seratelli makes Turner expendable. Seratelli was minor league free agent – double digit teams pursued him. He signed with the Mets as super utility player with power and speed, plays almost every position. With a good spring traning seems to have legit chance to make the Mets 25-man roster given his versatility well above Quintanilla’s.
link to baseball-reference.com
” super utility player with power and speed, plays almost every position” and he has a “chance” to make 25 man Roster? Man’ the Mets must be loaded with talent.
Anthony Seratelli makes Turner expendable. Seratelli was minor league free agent – double digit teams pursued him. He signed with the Mets as super utility player with power and speed, plays almost every position. With a good spring traning seems to have legit chance to make the Mets 25-man roster given his versatility well above Quintanilla’s.
link to baseball-reference.com
Satin plays first and third. Turner plays all infield positions.
It was his work ethic that was a problem for management.
That’s what it was. I’d forgotten. I do find it funny that they essentially dump Turner for that while Tejada, who they openly and publicly chastised for his work ethic, has been gift-wrapped the starting SS job every year since Reyes left (three years running now, apparently).
Tejada’s attitude has been beyond disappointing, but let’s face it, he is the better option as the everyday SS than Justin Turner. I wonder if this public chastising of Tejada is being used as a motivator to get him in gear. It’s pretty pathetic either way.
Lol the fans did not love him… He never took anything serious. See the relentless pies in the face. That was his main contribution.
That raises the question of who will step up to do the pies in the face now?
I hope that nonsense stops. It went too far last season, especially with Buck trying to knock Valdespin’s block off. I couldn’t stand Valdespin, but that was wrong regardless of opinion on him.
Check out his twitter; the fans indeed loved him. And unless you have intimate knowledge of the day-to-day atmosphere around the ballclub, it’s a little presumptuous to say that he never took anything seriously.
Do you go on Metsblog? There’s an entire article about the reasons Turner was not brought back. One of the main reasons was his lack of work ethic and ever taking anything serious. Not presumptuous at all
Metsblog is terrible.
Apparently he threated to “pie” Jeff (Simple J) Wilpon last year.
Dodgers let Punto go because he shredded jerseys; pies are significantly less expensive than jerseys, so he fits the Dodgers budget-conscious ways.
Apparently he threated to “pie” Jeff (Simple J) Wilpon last year.
the fact that he couldn’t get a major league contract suggests that the Mets valued him properly.
I like this signing. Solid bench player!
Guerrero Gordon and Turner competing For time at second. I think he’s going to have a chance to get some playing time.
Still would be nice if we could get Bonifacio.
Good pickup, but hope Bonafacio gets his tires kicked.
yeah, I’m still hoping the Dodgers can manage a deal for Bonifacio. Justin Sellers and Miguel Rojas don’t belong on a contending team, and Dee Gordon could probably use some more work at 2B in the minors.
I agree. When I saw that the Royals didn’t want him I was hoping the Dodgers might take a chance on Bonafacio.
I disagree because Bonifacio should be a PRIORITY.
He could be a guy to start at second if necessary and still be a good fit on the bench.
Had the privilege of taking a picture with Justin Turner while he was on the Mets.
Cool guy. Nice bench piece for the Dodgers. He’s better than a Minor League Deal.
Figured he would have been able to get a major league deal somewhere. Solid deal for the Dodgers.
Great guy, gave me a bat at spring training
Wish the Mets kept this guy. They don’t really have a clear cut utility man if Tejada starts, Quintanilla aside. Good move by the Dodgers
He ranked among the MLB leaders in just 1 category the last three seasons……Pie throwing…
He ranked among the MLB leaders in just 1 category the last three seasons……Pie throwing…
As a Mets fan, Turner is a great guy. Really don’t understand why he was cut. I can only hope he doesn’t make the team out of Spring Training, and the Mets bring him back.
ima miss turner, good bench guy. hope he does well in LA
This is the guy that made the most sense, just what the Dodgers needed!
That was informative.