Mariners' 2024 trade acquisition lands with Cubs in another Seattle oversight

Former Mariners everywhere! On Monday, Luis Urias landed in the AL West after signing a contract with the Athletics. Last week, reliever Kendall Graveman signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, in what represented a need for the M's.

Then came Tuesday. Former Mariners infielder Justin Turner reportedly agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. This marks a short, yet impactful tenure in Seattle for the former World Series champion.

Turner's career has been one of the better stories in the game. After failing with the Mets and Orioles, he found a tremendous amount of success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, earning two All-Star nods, three top-15 MVP voting finishes, and a 2020 World Series ring.

During the 2024 season, Turner spent the first half with the Blue Jays, hoping to assist in a World Series run, but come July, Toronto was too far out of the wild card spot, leading to his trade to the Mariners. The deadline was an impactful one for Dipoto, and Turner played a big role in Seattle, making a solid push for a playoff spot, although they came up short. Turner still hit .264/.363/.403 with five home runs and 24 RBI in just 48 games.

Justin Turner signs one-year deal with Chicago Cubs as spring training begins

Though his time in Seattle last just a few months, he was well-liked throughout the city and clubhouse, leading many to speculate that he could be back as a first base/DH option for Dan Wilson. Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander talked about his veteran presence on the team and how that was something that they valued greatly. Ultimately, the limited resources from team ownership ended any chance of Turner returning to the Pacific Northwest.

As Turner heads to the Cubs, a team with an already crowded infield, his role looks to be that of a rotational DH and veteran backup option at the corners. Turner's days of playing third base are long gone, but he will still provide a solid bench bat who starts a few times per a week and logging professional at-bats.

This pairing further emphasizes the issues with the Mariners offseason plan and lack of support from ownership. Turner, at age 39, still hit .259/.354/.383 with 11 home runs with solid walk rate (10.9%) and strikeout rates (17.6%) that Mariners fans would appreciate. His 126 wRC+ during his 48 games with Seattle trailed only Victor Robles and Luke Raley, proving Turner is an underrated bat that Dipoto should have made more of a priority if bigger signings or trades weren't on the table.

As spring training begins, the Mariners pitching looks to dominate yet again in 2025, but question marks surround the offense, and Dipoto continues to work with minimal support from ownership. Some things just never change.