MESA, Ariz. — After striking out on signing premier free agent Alex Bregman, the Chicago Cubs are close to bringing in 40-year-old third baseman Justin Turner, sources told the Tribune on Tuesday.
The Athletic was first to report on the deal.
Turner’s arrival seemingly would take some pressure off rookie Matt Shaw, who is expected to start at third, and give the Cubs a veteran backup to first baseman Matt Busch. With Nico Hoerner mending from offseason flexor tendon surgery, Turner also can fill in at second base.
The low-risk signing would bring another proven veteran to the clubhouse and end any speculation the Cubs might bring back fan favorite Anthony Rizzo, who remains unsigned.
Turner is a career .285 hitter with a 124 OPS+ and proved in the second half of 2024 that he wasn’t ready to retire, hitting .297 with an .818 OPS for the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. Overall he finished last season with a .259 average, 11 home runs and 55 RBIs in 139 games.
A two-time All-Star, Turner is only two years removed from a 23-homer, 96-RBI season for the Boston Red Sox. He spent nine of his 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Cubs fans knew him well.
Turner was named MVP of the 2017 National League Championship Series, which the Dodgers won 4-1 over the Cubs. His walk-off, three-run home run off John Lackey in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium gave the Dodgers a 2-0 series lead and in effect spelled the end of the Cubs’ hopes for a repeat of their 2016 World Series title.
Lackey, a starting pitcher, was added to the bullpen for the NLCS, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon inserted him in the ninth inning when closer Wade Davis was reportedly not available. The Cubs haven’t won a postseason series since beating the Washington Nationals to advance to the 2017 NLCS.