Justin Turner has signed with a new team after a long free agency stretch that followed his 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs. The move sends the former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star to the Tijuana Toros in the Mexican League, a late turn for a player who had been waiting for a landing spot well into the season. The signing was confirmed on Friday, April 11, 2026 ET, as Turner looks to keep his career going.
A new chapter for Justin Turner
The latest move gives Justin Turner a fresh opportunity after he spent nine seasons with the Dodgers and later moved through the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Cubs. Turner was a key figure in Los Angeles, where he became a reliable offensive spark, helped win the 2020 World Series, made two All-Star teams, and earned NLCS MVP honors. His final season with the Dodgers came in 2022, and he later played 2025 with Chicago before entering free agency again.
Turner’s 2025 season was modest at the plate, as he hit. 219/. 288/. 314 with three home runs and 18 RBIs in 191 plate appearances and 169 at-bats. Even so, the veteran had made it clear that he still wanted to play, and this signing gives him that chance in a different setting.
Justin Turner and the Tijuana Toros move
The key detail in the latest development is simple: Justin Turner is headed to the Tijuana Toros. The move comes after a long wait during free agency and places him in the Mexican League, where the pace and competition level may give him a chance to reset his production and extend his playing career.
Turner is now 41, and the shift comes after what has been described as his first below-replacement-level season in terms of bWAR. That makes the signing notable not just as a roster move, but as a career crossroads for a veteran who has already spent 17 seasons in professional baseball at the highest level.
What officials and teammates have said
Turner has spoken often about what the Dodgers meant to him. “I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious that the biggest chunk of my career came in LA with those nine years, ” Turner said. “The turning point in my career came when I put on the Dodgers uniform. The one title I won was with the Dodgers. ”
His former Cubs catcher Carson Kelly also described the value he brought in Chicago. “He’s huge, ” Kelly said. “He’s been around the game for a long time, he’s seen a lot of things. And he’s been on a lot of really good teams that have won a lot of games. ”
Quick context on Justin Turner
Justin Turner became one of the defining names of the Dodgers’ run over the past decade, after arriving as a relatively unheralded player and developing into one of the team’s most trusted hitters. He later moved on from Los Angeles, but his connection to the organization has remained strong.
He has also said he wants to retire as a member of the Dodgers organization when that day comes, likely through a one-day contract if that path materializes.
What happens next
For now, Justin Turner’s focus shifts to the Tijuana Toros and what he can still produce in the Mexican League. If he performs well, this move could keep his career alive and possibly open another MLB chance down the line. If not, it could stand as the latest chapter in a long and memorable run that still ends, for many fans, with the image of Justin Turner in a Dodgers uniform.
