The Chicago Cubs’ choice not to pick up Justin Turner’s contract option seemed to mean the end of an era for the veteran infielder. Many people thought the 40-year-old two-time All-Star would retire after having the worst slash line of his career in 2025, with a.219/.288/.314 average over 191 plate appearances. But Turner has other plans, going against what everyone thought when Chicago let him go just a few days ago.

Turner’s agent, Greg Genske, made the veteran’s intentions crystal clear to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. “Free agent Justin Turner plans to play in 2026, according to his agent, Greg Genske. Turner, who turns 41 this month, posted a .759 OPS against left-handed pitching for the Cubs this year,” Morosi reported.

That performance in that platoon becomes the basis for Turner’s story of coming back. In 109 plate appearances against lefties, he hit .276/.330/.429, which is a good wRC+ of 112. This shows that he can still be useful when used correctly. The veteran had a lot of trouble hitting right-handed pitchers. In 82 plate appearances, he had a slash line of .141/.232/.155, which was a terrible 16 wRC+.

The statistical breakdown shows where Turner is still useful. His contact rate on balls in the strike zone stayed about the same as in past seasons, and his strikeout rate only went up a little, from 17.6% to 19.4%. His batted-ball profile showed the real problems: a career-high 39.7% ground-ball rate, a career-worst pop-up rate and line-drive rate, and a lower hard-hit rate all made things harder for him. A .179 BABIP against righties in particular suggested bad luck on top of real decline.

The Chicago Cubs chose not to take Turner’s $10 million mutual option, which meant they had to pay him $2 million to leave and end his short time in Chicago. His one-year, $6 million guaranteed deal from 2025 set a standard that Turner will almost certainly need to beat as he tries to get his 18th major league season. He is looking for teams with a lot of left-handed hitters who need cheap veteran depth.

Cubs make tough roster decisions this offseason

Turner’s departure shows how Chicago’s priorities have changed this offseason. The Cubs’ front office has bigger problems than veteran bats, especially since Justin Steele missed almost all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. That absence hurt the depth of the rotation, so Chicago had to look for aggressive solutions before spring training starts. The team can’t afford to go another season without good starting pitching, especially since their window of opportunity is still open.

The Shota Imanaga decision makes Chicago’s planning even more important. If the left-handed player turns down his qualifying offer and becomes a free agent, the Cubs will need to find a replacement right away. Steve Adams of MLBTradeRumors.com says that Washington’s MacKenzie Gore is a top trade target.

He calls Gore the top player on the list, “the list of trade candidates this offseason.” Adams notes Gore is “a former No. 3 overall pick by the Padres who spent several years as one of the top-ranked — if not the top-ranked — pitching prospects in baseball.”

Gore’s performance in the major leagues proves that he is a good prospect, even though there were earlier concerns about his mechanics. He pitched 159.2 innings in 2025, had a 4.17 ERA, and struck out 185 batters. This was his second straight season with more than 150 innings, 25 starts, and 180 strikeouts. Those numbers show that Chicago needs consistency and durability, which are two things it really needs.

Landing Gore would meet Chicago’s most important need, while other teams chase Kyle Tucker and top free agents. The Cubs need to act quickly to get the All-Star-level left-handed pitcher before other teams do.