Justin Turner would fit a very specific need for the Cubs - and it's not third base

The Alex Bregman sweepstakes play on, with the former All-Star reportedly eliminating his longtime team, the Houston Astros, from his list of finalists - leaving the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs as the last three teams standing.

The prospective losers in the pursuit have all been connected to veteran infielder Justin Turner who, at age 40, remains a productive bat. Last season between the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, he put together a 1.5 bWAR season in which he slashed .259/.354/.383 with 11 home runs and 24 doubles.

There's a spot on this roster for Turner. Frankly, carrying both Gage Workman and Vidal Brujan on the Opening Day 26-man feels redundant given their defensive overlap. What this team needs is someone who can come off the bench and provide some pop and experience - and that's where Turner fits the bill.

I bring this up because there seems to be some fans viewing Turner as a fallback option or safety net at third if the Cubs miss out on Bregman and enter the year with top prospect Matt Shaw at the hot corner. I'm not saying Turner couldn't handle stepping in at third - but I am saying he's played a grand total of 10 games there over the last two seasons and hasn't graded out positively at the position (in terms of OAA) since 2020.

In other words, if you're in a pinch, fine - Turner can handle closing out a game for you at third. But at this point in his career, he's best suited as a first base/DH option. Given the Cubs' lack of insurance behind Michael Busch at first (don't tell me Jon Berti is a serious backup plan), Turner could be a perfect pick-up given his experience, winning pedigree and ability to turn in professional ABs as a starter or coming off the bench.

Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins undoubtedly understand that - hence the reported interest. It tells me the Cubs are comfortable trusting Shaw at third and feel that some combination of Workman, Brujan and Berti can spell him and keep him fresh. But this bench group lacks any sort of pop and Turner could help add that at a relatively low cost.