The possibility of Los Angeles Dodgers star Trea Turner joining the Chicago Cubs is seeming more and more realistic.
The possibility of Los Angeles Dodgers star Trea Turner joining the Chicago Cubs is seeming more and more realistic. According to David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago, the Cubs are interested in Turner, and Turner is equally interested in them.
He’s taking his time in thinking through his options and wants to make sure joining Chicago would be best for him and his family, understandably so.
Turner reportedly told NBC Sports Chicago in August, “From multiple organizations, you’d want to know what they expect or where it’s going or what they’re trying to do — kind of a vision. You need to know how the next few years look and how that pertains to you and your family and your career. It’s definitely a factor in picking a team.”
He’s one of the fastest baserunners in MLB, so he’d certainly help the struggling Cubs.
Cubs landing Trea Turner would be a huge win
The Cubs are far from being considered one of the best teams in MLB like the Dodgers are. In 2016, they won their first World Series since 1908. Since then, there hasn’t been much progress.
They’re not on track to make the playoffs this year, either. According to FanGraphs, they have absolutely no chance of making it, proving they lost a lot of development since 2016. Much of that has to do with their decision to trade their veteran core — namely Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez.
The 2016 Cubs were unstoppable with former manager Joe Maddon. They also celebrated their 100th year of the franchise and certainly made a great name for themselves that they just can’t seem to recreate.
They finished the season with the best MLB record of 2016 (103-58) and won the NL Central division after finishing third just one season prior. Oh, how times have changed.
This season, the Cubs are below league average in pitching and hitting. Turner would certainly be a step in the right direction. This season, he’s slashing .305/.350/.488 for an OPS of .838. He’d be the best hitter in Chicago if he joined the team now, and the Cubs should certainly consider it if they want to recreate some of that postseason magic.