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After striking out on the Alex Bregman sweepstakes in the offseason, the Chicago Cubs appeared to be on the verge of adding Justin Turner to the team on Tuesday, according to a report by Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.
“The Chicago Cubs are close to an agreement with Justin Turner, a source briefed on the negotiations told The Athletic. Turner, 40, is a highly accomplished hitter who wants to play in Chicago and will bring extensive playoff experience to the club.”
After that post by Mooney, it was reported by another source that Turner has indeed already inked a deal with the Cubs, according to Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation.
“According to @thekapman and me, the Chicago Cubs have signed free-agent Justin Turner. Great pivot after whiffing on Alex Bregman.”
Turner donned two uniforms in the 2024 MLB season. He kicked off that campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays, who signed him to a one-year contract worth $13 million.
But he was later traded by the Blue Jays ahead of the July deadline to the Seattle Mariners for outfielder RJ Schreck. Turner had decent overall numbers between his stints with the Blue Jays and the Mariners, batting .259/.354/.383 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs while posting a 114 OPS+ through 139 games and 539 plate appearances.
Turner's decision to head to the Windy City was also partly influenced by the allure of Wrigley Field and Chicago's proximity to the hometown of his wife, Kourtney, who is from Indiana, according to sources, per Mooney.
At 40 years old, Turner's best years are very much likely behind him now, but his experience and still decent bat can help the Cubs, whose batters finished 16th in the big leagues in 2024 with a 22.3 percent strikeout rate and 13th with a .311 wOBA. Turner posted a 17.6 percent strikeout rate and a 10.9 percent walk rate in the last season.
A two-time All-Star, Turner enjoyed the most success in his career during his nine-year tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he won a World Series in 2020. He has also played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox. He finished ninth in the National League Most Valuable Player voting in 2016 with the Dodgers.