Can the Cubs Get Away With Using Justin Turner as a Pinch-Hitter for Pete Crow-Armstrong?

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The Cubs' restructuring of the bench this winter has largely focused on defense. Now, they have one genuine bench bat—but how will they use him?

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Matt Shaw will man third base during the 2025 campaign, with Jon Berti as the backup. Justin Turner is too old to play such an active defensive position, but what he's not too old to do is crush baseballs in big spots. The youth movement at the third base and center field positions is important; they should confer the advantage of good range. Turner's statistics from the past two seasons suggest that, though his power is not what it used to be in his prime as a Los Angeles Dodger, he's still quite useful. in 2024, Turner checked in with an OPS of .766. He's a tough out, and a righty, which makes him a perfect prospective pinch-hitter for Pete Crow-Armstrong. Chicago's young center fielder is about to break out, but not yet. The only rub with this switch is the matter of who takes over center field.

Enter Alexander Canario. The powerful 24-year old outfielder, with only 45 total plate appearances with the big-league club, offers only a microscopic sample size from which to draw. The North Siders are high on his potential in left field, for which he should have the requisite athleticism. Does he work in center field? That's harder to say. For a few innings at a time, though, he should be able to survive. so it's viable. Pinch-hit Turner for Crow-Armstrong, come up with the go-ahead single, then turn to the young Canario to play whatever small part is asked of one defender over two or three frames to hold the lead.

Call it naiveté. Call me a Ricobene's fried steak sandwich-sized homer, if you'd like. But I think Justin Turner will do something special for Chicago's North Side ball club. In so many of the Cubs' critical mid-game situations in 2024, any combination of players who frequented that role (like Mike Tauchman and Patrick Wisdom) fell short. What does Turner offer that those aforementioned players didn't? He gets on base, in a way that would make Billy Beane's face turn a deeper shade of red than you'd find on a Pequod's pizza. 

All jokes aside, however, this feels like a complete team now. Regardless of the arrogance loaded in Tom Ricketts's comment that "it's a privilege to play for this team", it is, in fact, a fun team to root for sometimes. Turner's addition ups the chances of this year being one of those times.

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