A recently acquired infielder for the Chicago Cubs had some scathing criticism for his former team. He commented on the Seattle Mariners offseason and team-building process. In an article from Bob Nightengale of USA Today about the Mariners offseason woes, former Mariner Justin Turner was asked for his input on Seattle’s offseason.

He laid into his former team, criticizing the Mariners’ process. “The fact that they missed the playoffs by one game, and didn’t go out and add an impact bat or two when you have the best pitching staff in baseball, just seems absurd to me.”

The Mariners had glaring needs on offense, and they didn’t address any of those needs. Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, and Pete Alonso all were available for the Mariners, but they didn’t land any of them. Turner spent the final two months of the 2024 season with the Mariners. After a long winter, he signed a one-year deal worth six million with the Cubs.

He wanted to return to Seattle, but even if he did return, he wouldn’t change his criticism of his former team. “As much as I wanted to be back there, if I was the only piece they brought back in, I would be saying the same thing: What the *expletive* are we doing? Are you trying?”

After a tumultuous winter, Turner joined the Cubs. The Cubs are a team willing to invest money and prospects to bring in big-name players. That mindset is in stark contrast to Seattle, who hasn’t made the moves in the offseason. Turner is on his third team in a year and has found a team that has the pieces to compete for a playoff spot right away. It’s also a team willing to make the necessary moves, something that wasn’t present on his previous team.