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This Date In Transactions History: Minor Signing, Major Impact

By Connor Byrne | February 5, 2020 at 7:40pm CDT

It was on this date six years ago that the Dodgers made one of the greatest low-risk free-agent signings in recent memory. On Feb. 5, 2014, the club agreed to a minor league contract with third baseman Justin Turner, who has gone from afterthought to household name since he first donned a Dodgers uniform.

Now 35 years old, Turner was a seventh-round pick of the Reds in 2006 who took years and multiple uniforms to blossom into a quality major leaguer. Turner debuted with the Orioles in 2009, but he played almost exclusively with the Mets through 2013. While Turner didn’t exactly set the league on fire in New York, his offensive production did hover around the league-average mark.

During his 895-plate appearance run as a Met, Turner batted .265/.326/.370 (good for a 97 wRC+) while striking out just 13.1 percent of the time. Passable? Yes. But a lack of power helped cut down Turner, who hit a mere eight home runs and posted a weak .104 ISO as a member of the Mets. They wound up non-tendering him going into 2014, reportedly because they weren’t satisfied with the effort he put forth.

Turner’s power was dormant in New York (maybe his effort was, too), which is why he had to settle for a non-guaranteed deal to join the Dodgers. That pop has come to the surface in Los Angeles, though. Turner has eclipsed the .200 ISO mark in four straight seasons, though it took some time for him to become a legitimate power threat as a Dodger.

While Turner did hit an excellent .340/.404/.493 in 322 PA during his first season with the Dodgers, skepticism was warranted because that triple-slash line was buoyed by an unsustainable .404 batting average on balls in play. Indeed, Turner’s BABIP since then has fallen almost 100 points (he owns a .314 mark dating back to 2015). Nevertheless, the right-hander’s .297/.378/.508 line (139 wRC+) in 2,579 trips to the plate over the past half-decade helped make him one of the most valuable players in the game in that span, evidenced in part by a 21.9 fWAR that only 19 position players outdid from 2015-19. Turner also smacked 105 home runs during that stretch, and he did so while striking out in just 14.6 percent of PA.

Turner can attribute a large portion of his success in LA to help from Marlon Byrd, a former Orioles teammate, and a hitting coach named Doug Latta. As covered by Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik in the book “The MVP Machine” (excerpt via Slate), Byrd and Latta were instrumental in getting Turner to take a more fly ball-oriented approach at the plate. Turner, his bank account and the Dodgers have all benefited from it.

Thanks to the breakout Turner enjoyed during his first couple years as a Dodger, they re-signed him to a four-year, $64MM deal entering 2017. Needless to say, that’s quite a step up from the minors pact he settled for upon first joining the team. For their part, the Dodgers have won the NL West in every season since Turner first signed with them and taken home a pair of pennants. Turner’s obviously not the sole reason they’ve been so dominant, but he has been one of their key contributors. He’s also a reminder not to discount anyone who signs a minor league contract. You never know when a breakout’s around the corner.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Los Angeles Dodgers MLBTR Originals This Date In Transactions History Justin Turner

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48 Comments

  1. phillesfan07

    5 years ago

    Best minor-league signing of all time

    Reply
    • twinsfan368

      5 years ago

      No brandon kintzler. All star closer for minny

      Reply
      • JustCheckingIn

        5 years ago

        Lmfao

        Go ask the cubs if they agree. He’s like any other reliever, volatile

        Turner has been one of the best 3 hitters in the NL since he came over, SIX FULL SEASONS AGO

        Reply
        • afsooner02

          5 years ago

          Arenado, yelich, freeman, Blackmon, bellinger, harper, bell….

          I dunno bout that top 3 statement….he’s good but he’s not THAT good.

          1
          Reply
        • amk3510

          5 years ago

          Wrong go compare his numbers to those players. Turner is absolutely top 3 in the NL since 2014

          1
          Reply
        • JustCheckingIn

          5 years ago

          Yeah… I mean #3 hitter, like in the lineup….

          He’s comparable to about any bat you mention though. 139 OPS+ Since 2013 is better than Yelich, Arenado, Blackmon, Josh Bell, tied with Harper and 5 points behind Freeman+ Bellinger

          So 2 of 7 were actually better than Turner, one of those 2 only has 3 years not 6 in the span. It’s just one stat of many, but the picture doesn’t change much

          Keep talking out your behind. Turner has been a stud since he came here

          Reply
        • afsooner02

          5 years ago

          Love how you cherry pick your stats but whatever helps you sleep at night to say I’m “talking out my behind” just cause I don’t worship the guy like you. I didn’t even say he wasn’t good. He’s just not top 3.

          Reply
        • JustCheckingIn

          5 years ago

          I NEVER SAID THAT

          I said he’s a great 3 hole hitter. Like in the batting order

          But since you wanted to pretend those guys are all better than Turner, I decided to also prove you wrong. OPS+ takes into account OBP, power and park factors. But yes, just one stat. I even checked all the other stats first

          But what stat do you want? I’m here to please and am quite confident any offensive stat will put turner right in the same category as the ones you mentioned, so hit me

          1
          Reply
        • 8

          5 years ago

          NO YOU!

          Reply
    • DarkSide830

      5 years ago

      Muncy certainly rivals it

      Reply
      • BudLightKnight

        5 years ago

        Muncy was a great signing too but I don’t think he has topped the turner signing yet (coming from a die hard dodger fan)

        Reply
        • DarkSide830

          5 years ago

          im just saying is simmilar really and coulr be worth a bit more over the duration of his LAD stay.

          Reply
  2. JustCheckingIn

    5 years ago

    New swing from Turner was perfected by the staff(he had come up with basics while in NY the story goes)…

    Since then, C. Taylor, Muncy, Joc last year, Lux, Smith and numerous others have adopted a rendition of Turner’s

    What a deal indeed. And he’s a Titan alum! Haha

    Reply
  3. Gocubsgo1986

    5 years ago

    “Swing adjustment”. Lol so that’s what they’re calling it these days.

    Reply
    • dynamite drop in monty

      5 years ago

      Of course. Who could forget barry bonds famous swing adjustment he learned, amazingly after an entire life in baseball, in his late 30s.

      Reply
      • DarrenDreifortsContract

        5 years ago

        The only difference is Turner didn’t put on 50 pounds of muscle and his head didn’t double in size.

        2
        Reply
        • dynamite drop in monty

          5 years ago

          And to my knowledge, Turner has yet to attempt to murder know curmudgeon and motorcycle enthusiast Jeff Kent

          Reply
        • scarfish

          5 years ago

          His wallet did. And that’s all that matters baby

          Reply
        • fox471 Dave

          5 years ago

          Triple?

          Reply
        • Ducey

          5 years ago

          But he has had the telltale beard enlargement…

          Reply
      • MoRivera 1999

        5 years ago

        Yet it was Ortiz who had that otherworldy age 40 season, on notoriously bad feet no less. And his head was already double-sized.

        1
        Reply
        • dynamite drop in monty

          5 years ago

          You bring up Ortiz more than any Red Sox fan here. It’s so obvious you’re obsessed with him, it’s kind of cute.

          1
          Reply
        • MoRivera 1999

          5 years ago

          dynamite drop

          I freely admit Ortiz is my one Red Sox pet peeve. I bring him up a couple of times a month, when there’s a lead in. On the other hand, we have Red Sox fans who hit on the Yankees pretty much every day, sometimes more than once. We have one RS daily regular who talks about little else. He even writes poems about it. My “obsession”, as you call it, is nothing in comparison to the RS competition… Not even close. Maybe you could write about how cute they are.

          1
          Reply
        • WarkMohlers

          5 years ago

          Justin Turner to Barry Bonds to Yankees fans v. Red Sox fans. This train didn’t just go off the rails it somehow launched itself into space.

          Reply
      • Gocubsgo1986

        5 years ago

        Bonds had power his whole life. Turner didn’t.

        Reply
        • dynamite drop in monty

          5 years ago

          I know dude, I’m just having a lark.

          Reply
        • oldmanblue

          5 years ago

          The Clear.

          Reply
        • JustCheckingIn

          5 years ago

          Go look up 2011, 2012 JT. He was trying to be a slap hitter With a good batting eye, and didn’t use his lower half

          Then watch his swing in 2018/2019. His hips are leading the way, not his wrists. It’s a completely overloaded process. He’s talked at great lengths about it over the years

          It’s the basics of hitting for power, and as I said, multiple current dodgers have also adopted the same general swing

          ..but of course MLBTR Comments has to accuse any player ever that has broken out, he’s a PED monster

          2
          Reply
        • NowhereMan11

          5 years ago

          This lol. Why would you accuse him of roids when you can literally pull up tape to see the drastically different swings? Or Google “Justin Turner change swing” and see an MLB.com and FanGraphs article about it, as well as two videos titled “Justin Turner Breaks Down His Swing Change” without even having to scroll down. Absolutely absurd.

          1
          Reply
  4. 377194

    5 years ago

    Great signing. Great guy.

    Reply
  5. DarkSide830

    5 years ago

    heck if anyone had predicted this.

    Reply
  6. heinie manush

    5 years ago

    “He’s (Turner) also a reminder not to discount anyone who signs a minor league contract. You never know when a breakout’s around the corner.”

    Can we quantify that? How many Minor contracts signed prior to 2019, made the MLB roster and then performed very well (choose a WAR point?).
    I’d bet well under 5% ?

    Reply
    • JustCheckingIn

      5 years ago

      Well LAD has done very well

      Turner+ Muncy will hit 2-3 next year in the best lineup in the NL. Both off the scrap heap

      It’s coaching that changes guys. These 26-28 year olds didn’t suddenly lose all their natural talent

      Reply
      • baines03

        5 years ago

        It’s also finding guys willing to change and be coached. So many alpha males are too headstrong to change what worked for them their whole life.

        Reply
    • JustCheckingIn

      5 years ago

      The better way to say this is:

      There’s likely a very big discrepancies on successes for well run teams- LAD, Rays, NYY, HOU, even Zaidi in SF already has stolen a starting 2B off waivers… their percentage of “hitting” on a minor league deal is going to be much different than, say, Pittsburgh’s

      Reply
  7. Bravesbutt

    5 years ago

    Below was a more interesting transaction that occurred on this day.
    February 5, 2004: Russel Branyan Signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.

    April 25, 2004: Traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cleveland Indians for Scott Sturkie (minors).

    July 26, 2004: Sent to the Milwaukee Brewers by the Cleveland Indians as part of a conditional deal.

    Reply
    • JustCheckingIn

      5 years ago

      Lmao….but he sucks…..

      Think you mean “here’s something I care about because I’m a Braves fan”

      Thanks for playing

      1
      Reply
  8. mattg-5

    5 years ago

    Love me some JT. Thank you Mets for being you..

    1
    Reply
  9. Jonas Altman-Kurosaki

    5 years ago

    Byrd was Turner’s Mets teammate in 2013. Byrd never played for Baltimore.

    Reply
  10. stubby66

    5 years ago

    Sounds like the Brewers need to hire Byrd as a hitting coach then

    Reply
  11. 8

    5 years ago

    Byrd gave JT sum PEDs, Turner is just smarter.

    Reply
    • DarkSide830

      5 years ago

      that is what it sounds like

      1
      Reply
  12. rememberthecoop

    5 years ago

    Marlon Byrd eh? Hmmm…wasn’t he associated with, or suspected of, using roids at one time? I’ll bet he helped with a weak guy who had no power who all of a sudden “found” that power. I’m not saying, I’m just sayin’…

    1
    Reply
    • 8

      5 years ago

      Roid pals

      Reply
    • fox471 Dave

      5 years ago

      Here we go!

      Reply
  13. puigpower

    5 years ago

    He’s also a real class act and a fabulous teammate.

    Reply
    • JustCheckingIn

      5 years ago

      One of the few major leaguers who deserves to be a captain in the game atm

      Reply
  14. Rangers29

    5 years ago

    I hope this is what Danny Santana is going to do for the rangers.

    Reply

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