Justin Turner since being DFA'ed...

[NewMarketSean]

85 PA

.303 BA

6 doubles

6 RBI

.369 OBP

.751 OPS

Nothing amazing...but he still has a very good OBP, right in line with his career MiL OBP.

I know his defense is supposed to be pretty bad, but I would still prefer him over Lugo at this point, and still think he could be a decent lead-off hitter.

I could also have thought of about 10 players off the top of my head, most on the MLB roster, who I would have DFA'ed before Turner.

[Mackus]

I would really like Turner as a utility infielder if he could play a passable SS.

I don't think he'll hit well enough to justify starting at 2B, especially with his mediocre defense, but he should be able to hit lefties very well. If he could handle SS, he'd be a great utility guy and potential pinch hitter against LHP (and get some starts against LHP). Unfortunately, he can't play SS, so that's all moot.

I think it was unwise to lose him to a waiver claim instead of some of the more worthless members of the 40-man like Viola, but I don't think he'll be a guy we really miss.

[SammyBirdland]

I think it was unwise to lose him to a waiver claim instead of some of the more worthless members of the 40-man like Viola

I agree, especially when you look at who we have starting at SS and 2B this year. Jeter and Cano they are not.

[scOtt]

Turner is not the answer to our troubles.

[wildcard]

Turner is not the answer to our troubles.

What is, Scott?

[NewMarketSean]

Turner since joining Mets (Buffalo)...

241 AB

.311 AVG

16 2B

6 HR

.366 OBP

.818 OPS

And we let him go for free.

Second to Atkins, letting Turner get away is probably MacPhail's second worst decision of 2010. Especially when you consider Roberts missed 100 games and we had no other player in the system capable of batting lead-off like Turner could have.

[wildcard]

Turner since joining Mets (Buffalo)...

241 AB

.311 AVG

16 2B

6 HR

.366 OBP

.818 OPS

And we let him go for free.

Second to Atkins, letting Turner get away is probably MacPhail's second worst decision of 2010. Especially when you consider Roberts missed 100 games and we had no other player in the system capable of batting lead-off like Turner could have.

If that is true then MacPhail has not made very many mistakes. Where was Turner going to play? He is not a very good 2B. He don't hit enough to DH. He doesn't have the range to back up SS. He probably can't play in the majors on a good team.

[weams]

What is, Scott?

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/79r7j4W7BzQ/0.jpg

[Frobby]

If that is true then MacPhail has not made very many mistakes. Where was Turner going to play? He is not a very good 2B. He don't hit enough to DH. He doesn't have the range to back up SS. He probably can't play in the majors on a good team.

This. I like Turner, but he's AAAA.

[NewMarketSean]

If that is true then MacPhail has not made very many mistakes. Where was Turner going to play? He is not a very good 2B. He don't hit enough to DH. He doesn't have the range to back up SS. He probably can't play in the majors on a good team.

Turner at 2B and Wiggy at 1B = no Atkins. Looking at it that way, I would definitely have taken Turner over Atkins.

Besides, we had Wigginton, Lugo and Moore at 2B for most of the time Roberts was out. All 3 of them are not defensive specialists and aside from Wigginton, none of them hit enough to warrant the playing time.

And yes, in the grand scheme of things, losing Turner was not that huge a deal -- especially if Roberts stays healthy -- but IMO you just don't lose that kind of player for nothing. We talk about the importance of OBP all the time. Turner has routinely been able to get on base in the minors. So why just let him go for nothing???

Finally, I don't disagree that Turner may have been a defensive liability. But can someone post some stats that prove that he would have been any worse than what we had at 2B until Roberts came back? I'd be interested int taking a look at them.

[DrungoHazewood]

Turner at 2B and Wiggy at 1B = no Atkins. Looking at it that way, I would definitely have taken Turner over Atkins.

Besides, we had Wigginton, Lugo and Moore at 2B for most of the time Roberts was out. All 3 of them are not defensive specialists and aside from Wigginton, none of them hit enough to warrant the playing time.

And yes, in the grand scheme of things, losing Turner was not that huge a deal -- especially if Roberts stays healthy -- but IMO you just don't lose that kind of player for nothing. We talk about the importance of OBP all the time. Turner has routinely been able to get on base in the minors. So why just let him go for nothing???

Finally, I don't disagree that Turner may have been a defensive liability. But can someone post some stats that prove that he would have been any worse than what we had at 2B until Roberts came back? I'd be interested int taking a look at them.

I don't think it's particularly convincing to say Turner would have been a win or two better than a triage situation. Or Garrett Atkins. He's basically a replacement-level player: maybe a league average hitter at second, with a bad glove.

The O's failure was not finding a real first baseman. Not in letting Turner go.

[Skeletor]

I think a more reasonable question considering Roberts missed 100 games is Turner vs Lugo. I'd take Turner in that instance every time.

[wildcard]

Turner at 2B and Wiggy at 1B = no Atkins. Looking at it that way, I would definitely have taken Turner over Atkins.

Besides, we had Wigginton, Lugo and Moore at 2B for most of the time Roberts was out. All 3 of them are not defensive specialists and aside from Wigginton, none of them hit enough to warrant the playing time.

And yes, in the grand scheme of things, losing Turner was not that huge a deal -- especially if Roberts stays healthy -- but IMO you just don't lose that kind of player for nothing. We talk about the importance of OBP all the time. Turner has routinely been able to get on base in the minors. So why just let him go for nothing???

Finally, I don't disagree that Turner may have been a defensive liability. But can someone post some stats that prove that he would have been any worse than what we had at 2B until Roberts came back? I'd be interested int taking a look at them.

If you didn't like losing Turner for nothing, just wait. The more talent that the O's get on the roster the more often guys with some talent but maybe not major league quality talent are going to be released.

Hughes has some talent. I doubt he makes it through the winter. Moore and Fox are marginal talents. Depending of what Buck thinks of them either one or both may be DFA'd. Remember the O's got Fox off waivers. Sarfate is doing well at AAA, but he is on the bubble in the O's organization. He could be gone by the Rule 5 draft if he does not come up and wow them in September. All these guys have some talent but they are probably not tradable, so they may go for nothing.

[eb45]

To this day I can't understand why Lugo was kept, or even brought in, when Turner could have done the same job and probably a bit better.

[hobokenPauli]

The real problem with the way we handled Turner started in August and September of 09. Trembley should've put him in the lineup every game at 3rd and MacPhail should've just let Mora go. Turner never seemed to get enough at-bats to get some momentum going.

As an aside, I think that Turner was Krivsky's project when he was with the Orioles. Its not coincidence that Turner followed Krivsky to the Orioles and then followed him again to the Mets. So, I think that MacPhail was either not sold on Turner or doing Krivsky a favor when letting him go. We haven't done a deal with the Mets but I imagine that MacPhail is "owed" a favor for Turner. Or maybe not...