Cubs: 3 perfect fit free agent shortstops in next year’s class

Cubs: Want an elite defender with a plus bat? Trea Turner has you covered

If I were a betting man, I’d say the Dodgers take that money Carlos Correa thinks is earmarked for him once the lockout ends and hand it to Trea Turner. The reigning NL batting champ is hitting his stride at the perfect time – setting himself up for a major payday next winter.

Since the start of the 2020 season, Turner has slashed .330/.380/.551 – good for a 150 OPS+. He racked up 6.5 bWAR last season, leading all of baseball with his .328 average and 195 hits, and pacing the Senior Circuit with 32 stolen bases. You want to talk about giving the Cubs’ lineup a new look?

How about adding Turner, who ranked in the top percentile in the league in sprint speed last season and the top three percent in xBA. Throw in the fact he’s an above-average defender and it’s safe to say that if he doesn’t sign an extension with Los Angeles prior to next winter, he’s going to be a hot commodity – and one that would certainly intrigue Jed Hoyer.

He brings a profile the Cubs haven’t seen in some time. Baez was unarguably a thrill to watch, but how Turner goes about his at-bats is, to say the least, quite different than the free-swinging, feast-or-famine El Mago we all came to know and love.