Cubs Plan to Sign Former New York Mets Infielder If First Choice Signs Elsewhere

The Chicago Cubs have reported interest in signing former New York Mets infielder Justin Turner if their first choice, Alex Bregman, signs elsewhere.

Aug 28, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets shortstop Justin Turner (2) hits a double against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning of a game at Citi Field. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It has been well over a decade since Justin Turner donned the blue pinstripes of the New York Mets, and his career has seen a drastic shift from where it began.

The Mets claimed Turner off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles in 2010, optioning him to Triple-A initially before bringing him back up for four games later in the year.

Turner's tenure with New York was not the best, batting only .265/.326/.370 with eight home runs, 86 RBI, and a 95 OPS+ across 895 plate appearances in 301 games. He would be granted free agency after the 2013 season, subsequently signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers where he would experience a career renaissance.

Since the beginning of 2014, Turner has batted .290/.369/.476 with 190 home runs, 725 RBI, and a 129 OPS+ across 5,385 plate appearances in 1,360 games. Those 11 seasons saw the veteran gain two All-Star nods, and finish in the top 20 for National League MVP voting twice.

Now approaching his age-40 campaign, Turner is a free agent once again. While he is past his prime, with his last year posting an OPS+ of 130 or better coming in the COVID-shortened 2020, he is still a capable batter who can serve as a designated hitter for a contending team, even if he may not contend for a batting title.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal have reported that if the Chicago Cubs are unable to sign free agent third baseman Alex Bregman, they will shift their attention to Turner.

"The Chicago Cubs," writes Mooney and Rosenthal, "continuing to explore options even after the start of their spring training, are considering free agent Justin Turner as a potential addition in case Alex Bregman signs with another team, multiple league sources told The Athletic on Monday."

Sources: Cubs have discussed signing Justin Turner if Alex Bregman goes elsewhere. With @PJ_Mooney: https://t.co/QpFoyrxTU5

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 10, 2025

The Cubs have had one of the better offseasons in Major League Baseball to this point, adding superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Ryan Pressly through two separate trades with the Houston Astros, and shedding the albatross contract of Cody Bellinger in a trade with the New York Yankees among a few less exciting free agent signings.

Bregman as a part of Chicago's lineup would be a major coup, further cementing their status as the National League Central favorite. On the other hand, Turner would serve just as well offensively, though is a step back from Bregman defensively if they plan to deploy the veteran at the hot corner.

On the other hand, the Mets may have missed an opportunity to reunite with Turner, giving him one more run under the bright lights in the Big Apple. Signing Turner to a sub-$10 million contract, and using him as the weak-side platoon DH opposite Jesse Winker while offloading Starling Marte's contract would have worked wonders on the team's payroll.

It may be too late now, but the veteran's market does look to be heating up now that pitchers and catchers have begun reporting.