Baseball fans are like kids without jobs, they’re great at spending other people’s money. We also pretend that owners can just throw crazy amounts of money at free agents (even their own) and it won’t impact things down the road.

Would the Cincinnati Reds have been any worse off if they hadn’t signed Joey Votto to that ridiculous 10-year, $225 million extension? During the length of that contract, the Reds didn’t develop a single (cheaper) first baseman. Forget about the free agents they couldn’t afford to sign. And they have nada, zip, zilch to show for it.

A little over a week ago, a rumor floated that the Cubs might be interested in signing, the poor-man’s younger Kris Kringle aka Justin Turner as a safety net for third baseman Matt Shaw. I loved the idea if they could get him for a fair price-which apparently, they have. $6 million + incentives for one season, is a bargain in my book. Even though he is 40 and coming off an okay season, the guy’s a legit hitter who became an excellent hitter (.296/.375/.490) in parts of 9 seasons with the Dodgers. Furthermore, he’s only a full season removed from a strong offensive season (23/96 with a .276/.345/.455 split in 146 games for the 2023 Red Sox.

Despite some questionable personnel decisions in the past few years, the Cubs have proven they aren’t afraid to cut bait when a decision went sideways. If in the first month he stinks the joint up put him on the Tucker Barnhart scrap heap.

By no means as I suggesting that signing Turner makes up for their failures to better answers to their many questions, rather I think he can be a positive influence on the young players learning to be professionals. I’m not sure I’ll ever have access to him, but I’d love to sit and talk hitting with him. Coincidentally, he was one of the first Reds prospects that I interviewed back in 2008. I know that he wouldn’t remember that or me. Among other things, he was clean shaven, and I sported facial hair back then.