The Boston Red Sox pursued right-handed hitting depth for much of their offseason, and before Alex Bregman entered the picture, they were linked to 2023 fan-favorite Justin Turner.
And shortly after Bregman found a home with Boston, Turner found one elsewhere. The Chicago Cubs signed the veteran infielder on Feb. 18, first reported by Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. Boston and Chicago were both in on Bregman for a short-term deal, and once he signed, the Cubs were forced to pivot to another veteran in Turner. The contract terms have not yet been reported.
The 40-year-old is a 16-year MLB veteran who became a fast favorite in Boston in 2023. Turner hoped for a reunion with the Red Sox after his one-season tenure, but they moved on to Tyler O'Neill as their source of right-handed pop.
Turner is a career .285/.363/.458 hitter with a .821 OPS in his decade and a half of MLB experience. He's fresh off a down season with the Blue Jays and Mariners in 2024, however, Seattle's T-Mobile Park is the least friendly in the league for hitters and he could have better success playing half his games at Wrigley Field. He slashed .259/.354/.383 with 11 homers over 139 games, 91 with the Blue Jays and 48 with the Mariners.
Cubs sign Justin Turner after losing out to Red Sox on short-term deal for Alex Bregman
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.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) February 18, 2025
The Cubs look to Turner as an experienced option behind their likely Opening Day third baseman, prospect Matt Shaw. Shaw, 23, only has 35 games of experience at Triple-A but performed well at the plate in that time. The University of Maryland product slashed .298/.395/.534 with a .929 OPS for the Iowa Cubs in 2024.
Turner brings years of postseason experience to Chicago in a wide-open National League Central race. The Cardinals have been out of contention for two seasons, the Pirates haven't given out a long-term contract to a free agent in nine seasons, the Reds are still young and finding themselves and the Brewers lost some critical talent this winter. Turner and fellow 2025 offseason addition Kyle Tucker could help take Chicago back to the playoffs with top prospects in tow.