Justin Turner is still gunning for a return to Dodgers one way or the other

The 2025 season felt like a farewell tour for former Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, spending the year with the Chicago Cubs. Turner was signed to be a right-handed option off the bench for the Cubs, but as the year progressed, he turned into a de facto mentor for their young stars, including Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw.

Turner's contract with the Cubs included a mutual option for 2026, and when the option was declined it felt like the next move for the 41-year-old would be retirement. Shockingly, Turner has expressed a desire to play next season, but it feels like his market won't develop until closer to spring training. Similar to last offseason, when he signed with the Cubs a month before the start of the year.

Turner's 2025 season was a far cry from the 123 wRC+ he posted during his final year with the Dodgers in 2022. Turner slashed a lowly .219/.288/.314 in 191 plate appearances with the Cubs, good enough for a wRC+ of 71.

The breakout of former Dodgers' prospect Michael Busch, leading the Cubs with 34 home runs, all but forced Turner to embrace his role within the clubhouse. There were calls from Cubs fans for the team to move on from aging first baseman, but his wisdom proved valuable for their young core, and Crow-Armstrong specifically pointed to him as the voice behind his All-Star season.

Justin Turner wants his playing career to continue in 2026, but is already planning his retirement with the Dodgers

As nostalgic as it would be to see Turner finish his playing days with the Dodgers, it's hard to point to baseball reasons for why that should happen. To his credit, Turner still had above-average numbers against southpaws last season, but while spending money isn't an issue for the Dodgers, it would be a waste to bring him back for that reason.

While it's hard to map out Turner's playing career having a final stop in Los Angeles, it seems clear that he will retire a Dodger. Speaking with AM 570, Turner all but confirmed he is eyeing the day when he inks a one-day deal to retire as a member of the organization.

It wouldn't be quite the storybook ending that Clayton Kershaw had, but it would be a memorable moment nonetheless. As strange as it's been to see Turner with the Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Boston Red Sox in recent years, he remains a Dodger at heart.