The Nationals announced that they have selected the contract of top shortstop prospect Trea Turner to the Majors.In order to clear a spot on the active roster, the Nationals have placed Tyler Moore on the disabled list. Meanwhile, righty Aaron Barrett will hit the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man spot.
With the move, Washington has added its best position-player prospect for the stretch run. The team previously called up fellow middle infielder Wilmer Difo, but used him only sparingly and decided this time to give the nod to Turner.
This move seems more significant than the Difo call-up, because Turner did not need to be added to the 40-man after the season. Giving him a roster spot now means that the club has one less opening to protect other assets from the Rule 5 draft. It’s certainly possible that Washington decided it could get by without the extra space, but the move might also suggest that the club feels Turner can contribute down the stretch and/or make a viable challenge to take over for pending free agent Ian Desmond to open the 2016 season (in which case it might be valuable to give Turner a look at the bigs this year).
Turner came to the Nats along with right-hander Joe Ross in the three-team trade that sent Steven Souza to the Rays and Wil Myers to the Padres. He now joins Ross as part of the organization’s 25-man roster, a fact which reflects better on the trade than it does the team’s overall performance this year.
Since the deal, Turner has done nothing but enhance his value. He’s now a consensus top-20 prospect leaguewide, if not better, after dominating at Double-A and putting up a strong .314/.353/.431 slash with 14 steals in his first 205 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
While his first-round draft status and rising stock have elevated Turner’s profile, he is probably still best known for being dealt as the player to be named later in the aforementioned trade. The two sides used a loophole in a since-changed rule that stated a player could not be traded until one year after he is drafted. San Diego took Turner 13th overall in the 2014 draft, and they took advantage of the fact that teams can take up to six months to determine a PTBNL to trade him in December. Of course, that meant that Turner, who had been widely reported as the PTBNL, spent Spring Training and the first three months of the season with the Padres despite the fact that everyone knew he’d been traded to the Nationals. This was far from the first occurrence of PTBNL manipulation, but it was perhaps the most public example, and it spurred the league to take action and amend the rules so that players can be traded upon completion of the World Series in the year they are drafted.
FINALLY! If they aren’t going to make the playoffs, might as well see what the kids can do.
May have rushed it. You figure there’s he’s going to rack up 40 days rest of August and September, could have made it 30 if they waited till the end of August. Going forward 10 days may be an issue if super two comes into play (2 years 140 days). Just needs 2 years 100 after this.
I look at this as more of an audition for Turner with Desmond headed to FA. Super Two status wouldn’t really be an issue moving forward. If he knocks it out of the park in his call up this season and Nats install him at SS next year and he holds it down and stays on the roster the rest of the way. Then even at the end of 2017 he won’t be a super two, and at the end of 2018 he’d be up for arb no different than if he started Opening day next year. If he falters and goes up and down the next couple years then maybe after 2018 he’s a super two but if his numbers aren’t good enough to stay on the roster then reaching super two status in a few years isn’t a big deal anyways as his first arb salary would have a very low base to build off of and not cause much concern the following 3 years. Your math doesn’t really make sense even in the ideal best case scenario (he stays on the roster and plays at a high level) as he’d still have 3 years ’16,’17, ’18 that the Nats can pay him at the league min.
Frick!
I don’t see him doing much this year, or next.
According to you, every prospect is bad except the Cubs’ prospects
Hoping to god this means a lot less Ian Desmond at shortstop
The Nats getting Joe Ross (#3 starter?) and Trea Turner (good candidate to be starting SS eventually) for Stephen Souza and minor leaguer Travis Ott could be the best haul in recent memory.
Jake Arrieta (ace/Cy Young candidate) and Pedro Strop (very good reliever) for a half season of Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger is a much better haul
Theres a handful that are significantly better.
The Bartolo/Lee/Phillips/Sizemore deal
RA Dickey to the Jays for Thor and D’Arnaud
The Tex to the Braves deal
Hunter Pence to the Phillies
Arrieta to the Cubs
The Jays/Marlins monster trade (Marlins got a crazy haul)
I had a few more but the comment had to be approved and I forgot them.
Somewhere, AJ Preller is kicking himself for trading away Turner.
Let’s at least wait until Turner does something first.
Desmond has been hitting very well the past 2 months. This seems like a bit of a headscratcher
Hes been great in August.
Hit .190 is July.
His power came back immediately after the All-Star break, but you’re right, he had a miserable slump before then which brought his overall numbers down. Still, his offense numbers for a SS are still great. Very few SS provide double digit HRs and SBs.