Justin Turner. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs officially sign two-time All-Star infielder

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Andy Jachim | Last updated Feb 18, 2025 4:15 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have been looking to solidify their infield depth since they lost out on the Alex Bregman sweepstakes to the Boston Red Sox last week. It has been made known that top prospect Matt Shaw will get the first look at third base with spring training games set to get underway on Thursday.

Despite the starters being pretty much set entering Opening Day, depth is still something that the front office wants to have in every aspect of the roster. Not having strong bullpen depth hurt the team last year, and that is something they have addressed heavily this offseason.

With Nico Hoerner not expected to be ready on Opening Day and Shaw getting acclimated to the big league lifestyle, it’s important for veterans to be around the Cubs bench to piece things together from the jump. Jed Hoyer went out and made an addition to the unit that should keep things tight in the season’s early months.

The Chicago Cubs have officially signed Justin Turner

The Cubs have officially signed Justin Turner to a contract on Tuesday, per reports. The veteran spent last year split between the Blue Jays and Mariners where he slashed .259/.354/.383 and hit 11 home runs while driving in 55 runs.

Turner’s leadership and experience winning in October will be crucial for this Cubs group to have in 2025. He was a member of the Dodgers' 2020 World Series team and has been a big part of countless playoff runs in his long career.

Turner brings some versatility to the Windy City — as he can play either corner infield spot. He served as the Dodgers third baseman for quite some time, but age has forced him to work at first as well. Turner can rotate in at third base with Shaw, Vidal Brujan and Jon Berti in camp. He will also be the right-handed hitting option at first base next to Michael Busch that the team has been searching for.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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