After missing out on signing top free agent Alex Bregman, the Chicago Cubs have reached an agreement to acquire 40-year-old infielder Justin Turner, sources informed the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday.
According to The Athletic, which first reported the deal, the one-year contract is worth $6 million.
As expected, the reaction in the Cubs clubhouse on Tuesday morning was positive. Turner’s reputation as a hard-working, winning player makes him a strong addition to the team’s veteran core.
“He’s been a great player for a long time,” said shortstop Dansby Swanson. “We can learn a lot from his experience and the way he carries himself as a professional. I believe he’ll have a big impact on this group, especially for position players and on the offensive side.”
Left fielder Ian Happ praised Turner’s situational hitting and longevity, noting that he has “reinvented himself, played for years, and found success at the highest level.”
Turner’s arrival could help ease the pressure on rookie Matt Shaw, who is projected to start at third base. However, Turner will primarily serve as a backup to first baseman Michael Busch, a designated hitter, and a veteran bat off the bench. While Nico Hoerner is recovering from offseason flexor tendon surgery, Turner isn’t expected to play second base unless it’s an emergency.
Although Turner has primarily played third base in his career, over the past two seasons he has appeared in 84 games at first base, 13 at third, 10 at second, and 185 as a designated hitter.
“It’s not just beneficial for Matt—it’s good for all of us,” Swanson said.
This low-risk signing adds another experienced veteran to the clubhouse and shuts down any speculation that the Cubs might reunite with fan favorite Anthony Rizzo, who is still unsigned.
Turner holds a career .285 batting average with a 124 OPS+ and showed in the second half of 2024 that he wasn’t ready to retire, posting a .297 average and an .818 OPS with the Blue Jays and Mariners. He finished the season hitting .259 with 11 home runs and 55 RBIs over 139 games.
A two-time All-Star, Turner is just two years removed from a 23-homer, 96-RBI season with the Red Sox. He spent nine of his 16 seasons with the Dodgers, making him a familiar face to Cubs fans.
Turner earned MVP honors in the 2017 National League Championship Series, where the Dodgers defeated the Cubs 4-1. His walk-off, three-run homer off John Lackey in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium gave Los Angeles a 2-0 series lead, effectively crushing the Cubs’ chances of repeating their 2016 World Series triumph.
Lackey, typically a starting pitcher, was moved to the bullpen for the NLCS, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon brought him in for the ninth inning when closer Wade Davis was reportedly unavailable. Since defeating the Nationals to reach the 2017 NLCS, the Cubs have not won a postseason series.
After losing out on Bregman, who signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox, Cubs President Jed Hoyer stated that they still had some budget flexibility “for small in-season things.”
Turner’s signing fits the definition of a “small” move and could be the Cubs’ final key addition of the offseason.
Bolstering roster depth has been a key focus for Hoyer, particularly after the Cubs moved on from role players Mike Tauchman, Miles Mastrobuoni, Patrick Wisdom, and Nick Madrigal.
“I feel like we’ve made significant progress,” Happ said of the new additions. “The way the roster is built… from a position player’s perspective, it’s really well structured.”
