3 Juan Soto emergency backup plans the Cubs must land

The Chicago Cubs' blockbuster acquisition of Craig Counsell made waves early in the offseason. Since then, however, it has been relatively quiet on the free agency front. Jed Hoyer and company never made a real push for Juan Soto, and all signs point toward Shohei Ohtani ghosting the Cubs.

That has to sting a bit. Cody Bellinger threatens to leave in free agency and the Cubs recently lost Jeimer Candelario to the Cincinnati Reds, a division rival. Marcus Stroman is all but gone, too, and the Cubs have completely changed their tone about Christopher Morel, painting him as the future of Chicago baseball rather than a valuable trade chip.

With the offseason reaching a frustrating level of quietude, Cubs fans are desperate for a move. The front office ought to be as well. The goal is to build on last season's narrow postseason miss. Counsell should provide a lot of value on his own, but the Cubs won't compete at the highest level without a serious personnel boost.

Here are a few potential Soto backup plans still available to Chicago.

3. Cubs can address infield concerns with Justin Turner

There are obvious, surface-level red flags with Justin Turner, starting with his age. It's difficult to have confidence in the durability and sustainability of a 39-year-old, especially if that 39-year-old will be asked to consistently play defense.

On the other hand, Turner is fresh off a productive campaign with the Boston Red Sox. He slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs and 96 RBIs in 558 ABs, anchoring the middle of Boston's lineup and providing invaluable, beloved leadership in the clubhouse. He was the beating heart of last year's Red Sox in many ways. He would be a positive cultural influence as Craig Counsell establishes a new leadership regime.

The production and the intangibles — combined with Turner's ability to oscillate between either infield corner on defense — makes him an intriguing low-cost option. He's one of the best infielders left on the market. Turner is not a long-term solution by any stretch, but he could be an immediate boon while the Cubs continue to develop 2023 first-round pick Matt Shaw.

Last season, Turner posted a Batting Run Value of 21, landing in the MLB's 86th percentile according to Baseball Savant. He's disciplined at the plate, with a whiff percentage of 17.5 (91st percentile) and a strikeout percentage of 17.6 (77th percentile). He still has enough juice to help a contender.