This holiday season, the Mariners are in search for a second baseman. Now that Jorge Polanco has signed a free agent deal with the Mets, Seattle has turned their attention to another target in Brendan Donovan.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like St. Louis is willing to give him up for chump change. Donovan is a solid utility piece with a few years of team control remaining, but he may not be worth the prospect haul the Cardinals are asking for. But if the Mariners do ultimately swing big for a middle infielder, why not pursue the best one available?
Nico Hoerner was allegedly being discussed as a possible trade piece during the Winter Meetings
In a recent article by Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, it was reported that Nico Hoerner’s name popped up in trade conversations. The authors were quick to note that this doesn’t mean the Cubs are actively marketing him as a trade asset, but it makes sense that there’s interest in acquiring his services.
Ketel Marte got a majority of the second base spotlight this year but it was actually Nico Hoerner who led all second basemen in fWAR (4.8). He hit just slightly above average, posting a 109 wRC+, but his defensive contributions put him in a league of his own. His 17 Defensive Runs Saved ranked first among all qualified second basemen and second place Brice Turang (7) wasn’t very close. For his efforts, he received his second Gold Glove.
Since being elevated to a starter role, Hoerner has been one of the best at his position, accumulating 17.5 fWAR over the past four seasons. The Cubs have known about his potential since selecting him 24th overall in the 2018 draft out of Stanford University. They even signed him to a three-year, $35 million extension after just one year of arbitration.
Next year will be the final year of this contract, at which point he’ll still be just 29 years old. Despite being homegrown, the Cubs could look to trade him while his stock is up if they know they won’t be able to retain him in free agency. The article by The Athletic even says as much.
“He has already signed one contract extension with the Cubs. His appreciation for Wrigley Field and the franchise’s history is genuine. Nevertheless, this front office operates without much sentiment and uses the offseason to gauge the value of virtually every player on the roster.”
For any team, getting an elite second baseman is good news but for the Mariners, who have been pursuing a reunion with the aforementioned Ketel Marte all winter, it seems like the front office’s top priority. Even if a deal isn’t finalized, discussions of a possible shift towards doing business with the Cubs could get the Cardinals to lower their asking price for Donovan. A player of Hoerner’s caliber will cost an even heftier haul of prospects than Donovan but for a team that wants to win now, it could be worth it.