Justin Turner started to remake his swing late in the 2013 season on the advice of Mets teammate Marlon Byrd. It was too little, too late for New York, who non-tendered JT to make room on their 40-man roster for guys like Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon.
The Dodgers showed interest in Turner, with general manager Ned Colletti having four bench spots to fill after the departures of Skip Schumaker and Nick Punto and the retirements of Michael Young and Jerry Hairston Jr. As Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic:
[Colletti] viewed Turner as an average defender, better at second than at third, but a promising enough utility man.