Bleacher Report has disappointing prediction for Mariners' biggest offseason addition

We have reached the point of the offseason where things either get exciting or gloomy, all dependent on which team you root for. If you are a Seattle Mariners fan, then things have not been as vibrant as you may have hoped this winter, and it seems like everything is abruptly going south.

Seattle's spending will be tight, and they might trade away one of their best players. These two things do not add up to a promising 2025 season, but this might just be the start of the downturn. Now a free agent, we still do not know where Justin Turner will sign. Recent predictions, though, will have Mariners wincing in disgust.

Bleacher Report has disappointing Justin Turner prediction for Mariners

Bleacher Report gave each club one realistic free agent signing this winter in their latest swirl of predictions, and their guess for Seattle is that they will ink Turner to a new deal. If this is Jerry Dipoto's big offseason move, then every Mariners fan has the right to feel slighted. It seemed like there would be a splash of players coming to Seattle this winter, whether by trade or from the free agent market.

While Turner wouldn't be a bad supplementary piece, he cannot be the marquee addition with the pros and cons essentially canceling themselves out.

The bad: Turner is 40 years old, and having to rely on him to produce at the plate at his current age is not ideal. The Mariners had a terrible offense in 2024, so turning to a player entering his 17th season is not the best way to get a lineup going.

The good: Turner ended the 2024 campaign on a bit of a hot streak, batting .295 in September behind two home runs and six doubles. He also drew 14 walks, reaching base almost 40% of the time during the final month.

Turner surprisingly generated a positive rWAR (1.2) in 48 games with Seattle, slamming 12 extra-base hits with a 128 OPS+. So, maybe, Turner's days of being an everyday hitter are not over ... but is this what Mariners fans deserve to settle for?

He likely won't cost much. If he were to re-sign in the Pacific Northwest, it would probably be for one year in the range of $5-$12 million. Carlos Santana is close in age to Turner, and he just signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Guardians after earning a Gold Glove Award while lacing 49 extra-base hits. Santana's value is higher, but Turner's consistent production at the plate might still have him in a similar price range.

Whether the Mariners decide to bring Turner back or not, an aging player should not be the headline winter move for any MLB team. Mariners fans deserve better, but we should not be surprised with the way this offseason is turning out in Seattle.