The Cubs are contemplating Justin Turner as an alternative choice to Alex Bregman, write Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Turner can be restricted to at least one yr as he enters his age-40 season. Bregman has reportedly continued to hunt a deal of six-plus years, whereas the Cubs appear to favor a a lot shorter time period.
Turner stays a top quality offensive participant. He mixed for a .259/.354/.383 slash throughout 539 plate appearances between the Blue Jays and Mariners final season. His manufacturing improved after a deadline commerce to Seattle, no small feat for a hitter adapting to the sport’s most pitcher-friendly dwelling park. It was the eleventh consecutive season by which Turner has been an above-average hitter. Whereas he doesn’t have the identical energy that he did throughout his peak years with the Dodgers, he’s nonetheless a powerful on-base presence with excellent strike zone self-discipline.
Chicago isn’t the lone staff with curiosity in each Bregman and Turner. Mooney and Rosenthal write that the Tigers and Purple Sox have additionally proven some stage of curiosity in Turner. That contains three of what seems to be the highest 4 suitors — alongside the incumbent Astros — on Bregman. Houston has not been linked to Turner and wouldn’t make sense as a touchdown spot with Yordan Alvarez ticketed for DH work.
The Cubs may very well be a tricky roster slot in their very own proper. Seiya Suzuki will get the vast majority of at-bats at designated hitter. He’s able to taking part in proper discipline however squeezed out of a beginning outfield of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker. Turner can be a goal as a role-playing nook infield bat. The Cubs have lefty-swinging Michael Busch lined up for the majority of the primary base work. They don’t have any sort of established third baseman after together with Isaac Paredes within the Tucker commerce. Until they make a late-offseason strike for Bregman, they’d very seemingly flip the recent nook to prime prospect Matt Shaw.
Turner shouldn’t be an on a regular basis third baseman at this level of his profession. He began 4 video games there final season after logging seven begins in 2023. He hasn’t performed greater than half a season on the place since 2021. Turner has performed extra continuously at first base, the place he began 40 video games final yr. He may take some at-bats from Busch towards lefty pitching, although Busch had a decent exhibiting (.258/.330/.382 in 100 plate appearances) in unfavorable platoon conditions as a rookie.
The Tigers and Purple Sox have every been looking for a right-handed bat. Boston has restricted flexibility to accommodate one other participant on the backside of the defensive spectrum. The Sox have Rafael Devers and Triston Casas as their nook infield tandem. Masataka Yoshida is lined up for the majority of the DH work going into the third season of his five-year deal. Boston would in all probability use Bregman at second base in the event that they landed him. The Sox gave Turner himself 4 begins on the keystone when he performed in Boston in 2023. He wouldn’t play second recurrently however may rotate by the place alongside Vaughn Grissom and David Hamilton if prime prospect Kristian Campbell opens the season in Triple-A.
Detroit signed Gleyber Torres to play second base. That kicked Colt Keith over to first base, squeezing righty-hitting Spencer Torkelson out of the beginning lineup. Turner’s right-handed bat may play properly in a lefty-heavy nook infield/DH combine. Keith and Jace Jung, the projected starter at third base in the event that they don’t signal Bregman, every hit from the left aspect. Kerry Carpenter, who’ll break up his time between proper discipline and DH, is a lefty hitter who mashes when he holds the platoon benefit.
Seattle confirmed curiosity in a Turner reunion early within the offseason. That’s much less seemingly now that they’ve added righty-hitting Donovan Solano on a $3.5MM free agent deal to platoon with Luke Raley at first base. Mooney and Rosenthal report that the Reds have additionally spoken with Turner this offseason, although it’s not clear if that curiosity is ongoing. Cincinnati acquired Gavin Lux to deepen the infield and will give righty hitters Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer an honest quantity of run at first base.
