Veteran first baseman Justin Turner has expressed his dissatisfaction with being excluded from recent discussions surrounding the top free agents at his position. ESPN's Jeff Passan outlined the first basemen who have recently secured contracts, highlighting significant names while noting those yet to sign, including Pete Alonso, Anthony Rizzo, Josh Bell, and Ty France. Passan also mentioned LaMonte Wade Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe as potential trade candidates, but Turner felt that his name should have been part of the conversation.

Assessing Turner's performance in the 2024 season provides context for his discontent. The two-time All-Star demonstrated strong capabilities after his trade to the Seattle Mariners, recording five home runs and achieving a 128 OPS+ over 48 games, according to Baseball Reference. His consistent offensive output throughout his 30s is evident in his cumulative slash line of .271/.349/.427 and a 116 OPS+ over the last three seasons. This has positioned Turner as a noteworthy free agent, with Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranking him the No. 58 overall free agent entering the offseason.

The discourse surrounding Turner’s free agency may be indicative of broader perceptions regarding his role in 2025. At 40 years old, Turner has logged only 123 career appearances at first base and has spent a majority of his career at third base. Consequently, potential teams might regard him more as a designated hitter than an everyday infielder at this point in his career. His current unsigned status suggests that there might not be high demand for Turner's services as multiple franchises evaluate their options this offseason.