Cubs officially announce Justin Turner signing with revealing DFA decision

The Chicago Cubs have officially announced the signing of Justin Turner to a one-year deal.

Turner will earn $6MM with the Cubs during the 2025 season with a chance to tack on an additional $2MM based on incentives. With Turner set to serve as the primary backup to Michael Busch at first base and as a designated hitter on days when Seiya Suzuki is in the outfield, the question that remained was the impact his arrival would have on the team's bench.

In announcing the corresponding roster move to Turner's signing, the Cubs provided a clear answer to that question.

Alexander Canario's time with the Chicago Cubs comes to an abrupt end

Alexander Canario was one of the prospects the Cubs acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the Kris Bryant trade at the 2021 Major League Trade Deadline. The trade now looks like a clear miss for the Cubs, considering Canario is departing the organization with less than 50 plate appearances at the Major League level, and Caleb Kilian has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness.

Prior to Turner's arrival, there was some hope that Canario could serve as the team's backup first baseman but that experiment didn't have a path forward after the veteran's signing.

Again, a small sample size but Canario has posted a 135 wRC+ in his brief stints at the Major League level with the Cubs. It would seem highly likely that the Cubs will find a trade partner for the young outfielder within the next week.

In all honestly, the move feels like the Cubs' front office giving up on any attempt to find plate appearances at the Major League level for Canario. Given the infielders the Cubs added in recent months--Turner, Jon Berti, and Vidal Bruján--it would've made sense for the team to send Rule 5 selectee Gage Workman back to the Detroit Tigers. Instead, the team is giving far too easily on a prospect who possesses the very thing they lack--power.