Trea Turner, the highly touted San Diego Padres/ Washington Nationals prospect, continued his wild adventure that began at the conclusion of his debut 2014 season. Turner reported to his first career spring training on Tuesday with the Padres… despite the fact that he’s all but a Washington National were it not for a peculiar rule.
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Turner is the lightning fast, shortstop prospect current on the Padres’ roster. This past December, he was the PTBNL (player to be named later) in the three team, 11-player blockbuster trade that eventually landed 2013 Rookie of the Year Wil Myers in San Diego. So, Turner should be on the Nationals (who sent their Minor League Player of the Year Steven Sousa, Jr. to the Tampa Bay Rays), but due to an interesting rule, Turner must remain on the Padres… for now.
The 21-year old shortstop was drafted 13th overall in the first round by the Friars. He signed his first contract on June 13. Due to rule 3(B)(6), a drafted player can not be traded until he a full calendar year has passed after he has signed. So, despite everyone in the baseball world knowing that Turner has been traded to the Nationals, he technically has not been. And now he is a non-roster invitee in Padres’ camp.
It seems like it would be a pretty trying ordeal on Turner, but he appears to be keeping a level head about the situation.
“There’s a lot of things out of my control — this trade and anything of that nature,” Turner told Corey Brock of MLB.com. “I tried not to pay attention to it and put it behind me and get out there and start playing.”
Turner had an impressive debut year in 2014. He started slow with the Single-A short season Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League. He exploded once being promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps in the Midwest League (Single-A). He slashed a .369/.447/.529 with four home runs and 22 RBI in 187 at bats. He also swiped 14 bases in 17 attempts en route to earning Padres’ Organizational All Star honors.
Turner is still a few years away, so no matter how much he impresses in spring training, he wasn’t going to make the Padres Opening Day Roster. He brings what MLB Pipeline has rated as 80-grade (the highest grade there is) speed to the lineup. He has a sharp eye and a strong knack for making contact which can turn into hits for someone with his speed. He is still a bit inconsistent with his swing, as he can lose control of it, allowing it to get long. The .529 slugging percentage was a bit of an anomaly as he is not known for his power, although sometimes he seems to get in a groove where he swings for the fences.
At 21-years of age and with not even a full season under his belt, the whirlwind of an offseason shouldn’t effect Turner in spring training as much as it would a more seasoned veteran. Instead of trying to find his way and worry about a roster spot or salary, Turner just wants to move on and play the sport he loves.
“It’s kind of a dream come true. I want to see how I do. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
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