Chicago Cubs Sign Former Los Angeles Dodgers Star to One-Year Deal

The Chicago Cubs have their third baseman locked down.

May 8, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner (10) hits an RBI sacrifice fly against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have officially agreed to terms with a new third baseman.

After it was reported on Tuesday morning the Cubs were closing in on a deal with Justin Turner, the agreement is now official. According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Chicago has agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $6 million for Turner.

The interest connecting the team to Turner was first swirling as a potential backup plan for Alex Bregman, but once Chicago officially missed out on the Houston Astros star, they clearly pivoted quickly towards the 40-year-old Turner.

Top prospect Matt Shaw was likely in line to be the team's Opening Day third baseman if another move had not been made, but with Shaw having yet to play an MLB inning and now dealing with a minor injury during spring training, bringing in an insurance plan like Turner makes a lot of sense.

Even in a scenario where Shaw is ready to go during the 2025 season, having a 16-year MLB veteran like Turner in the fold could go a long way towards mentoring the young future star and giving him tips on how to take the next step as a Major League player.

In 2024, Turner slashed .259/.354/.383 in stints both with the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. In 2023 at the age of 38, he had a huge season for the Boston Red Sox with 23 home runs and a career-high 96 RBI.

Now likely to be Chicago's Opening Day third baseman, Turner gets another big league shot with a lucrative contract to prove he still belongs.