Some players perform like superstars from the moment they put on a major league uniform. We've seen that recently with Fernando Tatis Jr., Pete Alonso, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Juan Soto, to name a few.
Not every future All-Star's career path takes that same trajectory, though.
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Some guys need years of struggles in the bigs and maybe a change of scenery or two before they figure out how to thrive. These are the guys who are typically throw-ins to a deal or DFA’d players, moves that happen when production doesn’t meet talent level.
Here are two perfect examples: Before David Ortiz became a future Hall of Famer and World Series legend with the Red Sox, he was just a designated hitter the Twins deemed expendable. Before Jose Bautista became one of the game’s best sluggers, he played for the Orioles, Devil Rays, Royals and Pirates before joining Toronto.
First, two quick parameters: For this list, we're only looking at players who had a decent amount of MLB time in multiple seasons before they were dispatched, so current stars who were traded while still prospects (hi, Gleyber Torres!) aren't included here.
Also, a guy like Christian Yelich who developed into a legit superstar with his new team but was still really good — he had three seasons with at least a 4.1 fWAR with the Marlins — with his first team doesn’t count, either.
Make sense? Cool.
Justin Turner
Feeling the pain: Mets fans
Why he’s here: Turner was traded by the team that drafted him, Cincinnati (December 2008), designated for assignment by the Orioles (May 2010) and non-tendered by the Mets (December 2013). According to reports, Turner had worn out his welcome in New York — where he’d hit .265 with eight homers in 301 games — which led to the surprise move after the 2013 season. Turner was team-less for a couple of months before he finally signed with the Dodgers on a minor league free-agent deal in early February.
Aside from Clayton Kershaw, no other Dodger has been the face of this run of 90-plus win seasons more than Turner. He batted .340 in his first year with L.A., and though he’s had trouble staying healthy during the season, he’s been the driving force for the Dodgers’ lineup in his six years with the club. He’s batted .303 with an .883 OPS in the regular season with the club and a hefty .313 with a .923 OPS in 49 postseason games.
Turner isn’t the only Dodgers player in this position, of course. We’ll talk more about one player in a moment, but we’d be remiss not to mention Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez, two other under-the-radar players acquired in trades who have become a big part of L.A.’s success in recent seasons.
Jake Arrieta
Feeling the pain: Orioles fans
Why he's here: By this point, Baltimore faithful have come to peace with the Arrieta trade. Probably. Maybe. For those Cubs years especially, though, it was tough watching him mow down opponents night after night. And that no-hitter he tossed on national TV on the road against the Dodgers in 2015, the year he won the NL Cy Young award? Horribly painful. Look at this: Arrieta made 18 starts in July/August/September in 2015, and he allowed a grand total of 13 earned runs, for an incredible an 0.89 ERA. In his final 18 starts in an Orioles uniform, the right-hander had a 6.13 ERA. Seriously.
The thing to remember, though, is Arrieta wasn't quickly discarded by the Orioles. After 18 starts and a 4.66 ERA (and 4.76 FIP) as a rookie in 2010, he made 22 starts the next season and was worse (5.05 ERA, 5.35 FIP). The ERA ballooned up to 6.20 in 2012 and he eventually lost his spot in the rotation (he made 18 starts and six relief appearances). He was back in the rotation to open 2013, then was demoted to the minors. When he was finally shipped to the Cubs on July 2, along with reliever Pedro Strop in a deal that landed starter Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger, he owned a 7.23 ERA, 1.775 WHIP and 4.61 FIP in five starts.
At the time, it was almost a relief for Orioles fans, who didn't have to agonize over why Arrieta couldn't figure things out. His final numbers in Baltimore, over four seasons: 5.46 ERA, 69 games (63 starts), 4.72 FIP, 1.472 WHIP.
His final numbers in Chicago: 2.73 ERA, 128 games, 3.16 FIP, 1.034 WHIP. Yep.
Charlie Morton
Feeling the pain: Pennsylvania baseball fans
Why he’s here: Morton was OK but often injured during his seven years as part of the Pirates’ rotation (2009-15); he made more than 23 starts just twice in that stretch, and owned a 4.39 ERA by the time they traded him across the state to the Phillies. Morton only made four starts in his lone year with that franchise, felled again by injuries.
The Astros gave him a chance as a free agent, and he was basically brilliant both years. In 2017, Morton had a 3.62 ERA in 25 regular-season starts, then pitched five shutout innings against the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS, helping Houston reach the World Series. There, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed just two runs, capping his performance with four strong relief innings to close out Game 7. And this year with the Rays — Houston let him leave as a free agent — Morton has an AL-best 2.60 ERA.
J.D. Martinez
Feeling the pain: Astros fans
Why he's here: You've heard his story. After a career .251 average and 24 home runs in 252 games over parts of three seasons in Houston, Martinez decided to completely rework his swing. It was too little, too late for the Astros, though, and despite that they were a rebuilding team desperate for any sort of offense, Houston released him late in spring training 2014. The Tigers took a chance and were richly rewarded.
In his first year with Detroit, Martinez was a revelation — he hit .315 with 23 homers in 123 games, and he was just getting started. From 2015 to 2018, for the Tigers, Diamondbacks and Red Sox, Martinez averaged 37 homers and a 155 OPS+ despite missing significant time two of those seasons. He finished fourth in the AL MVP race for the Red Sox in 2018, and he’s producing again this year, with 22 homers and a 130 OPS+ in 95 games.
Max Muncy
Feeling the pain: A’s fans
Why he’s here: Muncy played 96 games for the A’s in 2015-16, but never found much traction at the big league level. In that uniform, he batted just .195 with five home runs and a .611 OPS, and the A’s released him in spring 2017. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, who put him in Triple-A for the entire season. Muncy hit .305 with 12 homers in 109 contests. He started 2018 at Oklahoma City again, but was called up a couple of weeks into the season.
Muncy homered in his first start for the Dodgers, but overall he struggled early, batting just .190 with a .663 OPS in his first 49 plate appearances. From there, he caught fire. In his next 28 games, Muncy hit 11 home runs and posted a 1.197 OPS while starting games at third base, first base, second base and even playing a few innings in left field. The lefty let go by Oakland finished the season with 35 home runs and a .973 OPS, then added three more home runs in the postseason. This year, he made his first All-Star team and has 26 homers with a .899 OPS in 103 games.
Edwin Encarnacion
Feeling the pain: Reds fans
Why he's here: Let's start with all the times he was basically given away. In 2009, he was part of the trade that sent Scott Rolen from Toronto to Cincinnati, and he was only part of the deal because the Reds wouldn't finalize it unless the Blue Jays took Encarnacion. Cincinnati — where he’d hit 71 homers in 514 games and wore out his welcome — wanted him gone.
After the 2010 season, Encarnacion was claimed off waivers by the A’s. Twenty days later, the A's non-tendered him, which made him a free agent. Toronto brought him back on a one-year deal (for $2.5 million) with a club option for the 2012 season. Good move, eh?
From 2012 through 2018, Encarnacion averaged 38 homers and a 139 OPS+, and he has 30 homers with a 125 OPS+ so far this year with the Mariners and Yankees.
Andrew Miller
Feeling the pain: Marlins fans
Why he's here: Miller has been shipped around a couple of times in his career. Though he wasn't good with Detroit, the team that drafted him sixth overall in the 2006 draft (one spot ahead of Clayton Kershaw) — he had a 5.69 ERA in 21 games (13 starts) — the Tigers didn't give up on him. Miller was part of the trade that landed superstar Miguel Cabrera in Detroit, so the franchise certainly got top quality in return.
The Marlins, though, did give up on him after three unsuccessful seasons that resulted in a 5.89 ERA in 58 games (41 starts) and multiple trips to the minor leagues to try and figure things out. He was traded to the Red Sox for Dustin Richardson after the 2010 season.
The Red Sox eventually switched him to a full-time reliever, and Miller's career has taken off. He’s been one of the most dominating lefty relievers in the sport, with a 2.22 ERA and 14.1 strikeouts for the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians and Cardinals.
