The Mexicali Eagles hold the rights to Justin Turner. They made that official on July 2, when they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the LMP Foreign Draft. But holding rights and having a signed contract are two very different things — and right now, Mexicali only has the first one.
Club president Dio Alberto Murillo Rogers confirmed this Tuesday that negotiations are still ongoing and that the realistic plan is to have Turner suit up for the Eagles in the second half of the winter season, not from Opening Day.
What the Club President Said
Murillo Rogers was the one who put it on the record. As reported by journalist Miguel Lugo on September 8, the team president said talks with Turner are continuing and that the expectation is for the veteran to come aboard once the second half of the LMP campaign gets underway.
The reason for the delay is straightforward: Turner is reportedly considering taking some rest before reporting. That makes all the sense in the world. He just completed a full season in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) with the Tijuana Toros — and as of September 8, he was still active in the postseason, playing in the North Zone Finals against the Monterrey Sultans. Asking him to sign and show up immediately would be a lot to ask.
Why Mexicali Wants Him So Badly
The short answer: because Turner did something in Tijuana that very few ex-MLB veterans manage when they come to Mexican baseball. He posted a 1.031 OPS with the Toros during the regular LMB season — a number that would have ranked among the best hitters in virtually any league.
For context, his last full MLB season came with the Cubs in 2025, where he hit .219 with a .602 OPS. The gap between those two versions of Turner tells the story of a player who found his footing in Mexico.
Mexicali clearly saw enough. They spent a premium pick — No. 1 overall in the LMP Foreign Draft on July 2 — to lock up his rights. On September 1, they included him on their 63-man spring training invite list, with the caveat that he was still in the postseason with Tijuana.
What Still Needs to Happen
Before anyone pops the champagne, it’s worth being precise about what we actually know. Mexicali has Turner’s rights — that’s documented and real since the July draft. But the formal contract is not signed, and the team’s General Manager had already flagged back in July that his arrival was «not a done deal.» Murillo Rogers’ comments reflect confidence and expectation, not confirmation.
There’s also the Tijuana factor. As long as the Toros are still playing in the LMB postseason, Turner isn’t available to anyone. Once that series ends, he’ll be free to negotiate in earnest — and if he takes a few weeks to rest, as has been speculated, the most realistic window for his arrival would be sometime in the second half of November.
- Mexicali’s preseason opened September 8 with nine games across California, Utah and Arizona.
- The Eagles’ official season opener is scheduled for October 14 at home against the Hermosillo Naranjeros.
- Turner would not be available for that game.
- Turner will be 41 years old throughout this entire winter campaign.
Manager Roberto «Chapo» Vizcarra has a 63-player roster to work with for the opener. If Turner shows up, he walks straight into the lineup. If he doesn’t, Mexicali opens October 14 either way.
But if he does arrive, he’d be the highest-profile foreign addition the LMP has seen in recent memory — and the fans in Mexicali already know it.
