There are some areas on the roster where we could or will see turnover, but the Chicago Cubs enter the 2025-26 offseason with their middle infield as stable a position group as any. Under contract through 2029, Dansby Swanson will remain at shortstop, while Nico Hoerner will handle the keystone through at least through the end of 2026. The depth behind those two, however, is somewhat in question. 

Not that it’s a major area of concern. Hoerner logged time at second base in 153 games, while Swanson was at short for 159. Beyond Hoerner, the Cubs deployed a mix of Jon Berti (13 games), Willi Castro (six games), Matt Shaw (four games), Vidal Bruján (three games), and Nicky Lopez (one game). Aside from Hoerner appearing in eight games in Swanson’s stead at shortstop, each of Bruján, Lopez, and Gage Workman registered a pair of appearances. None of the names behind the incumbents are still with the organization. Some of them have been gone for months. 

Thus, as the Cubs build their roster for 2026, they’re going to have to at least maintain an eye on who could serve as this year’s depth, minimal as the need may be.

Second Base
Starter: Nico Hoerner (.297/.345/.394, 7 HR, 29 SB, 109 wRC+, 4.8 fWAR)
Just about everything Hoerner did in 2025 was a career best. He posted his highest average, his best park-adjusted offense, and his largest Wins Above Replacement output (according to FanGraphs), while cutting his strikeout rate to just 7.6%. Meanwhile, he continued to ply his trade as one of the best defensive infielders in the sport. With a down-ballot MVP vote to his credit, it’s hard to imagine we see his name floating around the trade ether in the way that we saw last winter. 

Depth: James Triantos, Pedro Ramirez

Of the two middle infield spots, the Cubs at least have a little bit of security behind Hoerner (albeit no one with any top-level experience). The team added James Triantos to the 40-man roster ahead of last week’s deadline, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. Should anything happen to Hoerner, it’s likely he’d be first in line to get keystone reps. While he’s cooled a bit as an offensive prospect (which could at least be partially attributed to a 70-point drop in his batting average on balls in play), he offers some of the same base stealing prowess we see from Hoerner (78 steals across all levels the last two years). 

Should it not be Triantos, another recent addition to the 40-man could supplement the middle infield as needed. Pedro Ramirez doesn’t have experience above Double A yet, but has more recently demonstrated some offensive upside. He slashed .280/.346/.386 and swiped 28 bags in 2025. That’s despite a BABIP regression of his own, compared to lower levels.

Either way, the team is getting a somewhat similar skill set to that of their starting second baseman. But it’s also possible we see the team address this with a versatile option off the bench that could push each one further down the depth chart. 

Shortstop
Starter: Dansby Swanson (.244/.300/.417, 24 HR, 20 SB, 99 wRC+, 3.3 fWAR)
It was a strange year for Swanson. On one hand, he demonstrated consistent power in a 20/20 campaign. On the other, his contact rate was his lowest over a full season in his career (71.3%) and his strikeout rate ballooned to 26.0%. His on-base percentage has continued to drop, but the power coming back (after a down year in that regard in 2024) was encouraging. Not that the inconsistency constitutes a big change; Swanson has always had some bewildering variance in his game. The Cubs love his presence in the clubhouse and the steadiness of his glove. He’s likely the starter until that contract runs out.

Depth: Hoerner

This one doesn’t merit nearly as deep a discussion. Unlike second base, which has a decent volume on the 40-man, the Cubs have no such presence behind Swanson. Names like Jefferson Rojas or Cristian Hernandez are still at least another year away. Should anything happen to Swanson—a difficult thing to anticipate, given that he’s appeared in at least 147 games in each year since 2020—it would be an easy call for the team to flip Hoerner to the other side of the second-base bag. 

In that case, you’re looking at an extended run for a bench bat to be named later, or one of Triantos or Ramirez. Either way, the depth behind Swanson exists almost exclusively in the form of his comrade on the middle infield. The Cubs don’t have a great deal of depth at these positions, but the idea is that they shouldn’t need any.