Report: Dodgers sign INF Justin Turner to minor-league deal
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It only gets better if you're a Dodgers fan:
Source: Justin Turner has agreed to a minor-league deal with the #Dodgers.
— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) February 5, 2014
Turner will be at spring training with the big club, Hernandez adds.
Turner, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Mets. He hit .280/.319/.385 last year in 86 games, with two home runs and 16 RBI. He did a bit of everything defensively in 2013 - some innings at first base, second, shortstop, and at third base.
Turner has a career 98 wRC+ in 318 career games, giving him a slightly below-average bat. He's a slightly below-average defender, too, but he's done his best work in his career at third base, where his defense is a run below average in 498 2/3 innings, according to Defensive Runs Saved.
Turner's an insurance policy, writes the Los Angeles Times' Steve Dilbeck, as the Dodgers are set to go with unknown Cuban prospect Alex Guerrero at second base this coming season. A little insurance never hurt anybody.
There's also this:
Justin Turner, useful utility guy who was great on bench and in clubhouse for #Mets, signs with #dodgers. Mistake to non tender IMO.
— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) February 5, 2014
Being great on the bench and in the clubhouse can't be measured, because the nerds at FanGraphs and Baseball Reference haven't figured out a way to measure grit. They never will.