The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a one-year, $6 million deal with Justin Turner, a league source briefed on the negotiations told The Athletic on Tuesday, adding a highly accomplished right-handed hitter with extensive playoff experience.
The Cubs monitored Turner, 40, on the free-agent market and pivoted after their failed pursuit of Alex Bregman, the All-Star third baseman who recently signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Boston Red Sox that contains a substantial amount of deferred money.
At this point, it seems unlikely that the Cubs would add another position player on a major-league deal during spring training. The Cubs did their due diligence and evaluated Nolan Arenado as a possible long-shot fit, league sources said, but the St. Louis Cardinals have no plans to trade the All-Star third baseman to their biggest rival in the National League Central.
With the Cubs starting their Cactus League schedule on Thursday — and opening their season on March 18 in Japan — it was time for Turner to make a decision.
According to league sources, spending the summer in Chicago and getting the entire Wrigley Field experience appealed to Turner and his wife, Kourtney, who is from Indiana.
Turner knows how to perform in a large market. He established himself as a major-league…
