Veteran infielder Justin Turner had a brief stint with the Seattle Mariners in 2024 after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays, and while he enjoyed his time in Seattle, he, like many MLB fans, have ripped the team’s lack of spending after joining the Chicago Cubs for the 2025 season.
“The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball,” Justin Turner said, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “just seems absurd to me.”
The Cubs are expecting to compete this season, and Turner should be a depth bat in the lineup that added Kyle Tucker as a focal point. They are undoubtedly aggressively looking to contend, while the Mariners have frustrated many by sitting on their starting pitching and not adding bats around Julio Rodriguez, who will be tasked with carrying the lineup. The only notable offensive moves were re-signing Jorge Polanco and adding Donovan Solano. Pairing that with a rough offensive environment in Seattle, the expectations are not high for the Mariners offensively. All of those factors combine to make Turner confused and frustrated.
“Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there,” Turner said, “if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: What the hell are we doing? Are you trying?”
“There’s not going to be a better time to go for it. So, I don’t know what. they’re doing. I’m very confused. It’s a head-scratcher for me.”
For now, the Cubs will look to contend at the top of the National League Central, while the Mariners hope to scrape across enough offense to win the American League West. It will be interesting to see if the Mariners can exceed expectations after an offseason that brought much criticism.
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