This winter there’s been plenty of trade speculation surrounding the Chicago Cubs. The team made good on one of those trade rumors when they added starter Edward Cabrera from the Miami Marlins. However, one trade candidate is still around in second baseman Nico Hoerner. But, one MLB analyst believes the Cubs might look to extend him, instead of jettisoning him off the team.
Nico Hoerner Extension Candidacy
Hoerner, heading into his age 29 season, signed a three-year contract right before the season in 2023. This contract averages $11.66 million and bought out his arbitration years and one free-agent year.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com believes that the Chicago Cubs should find common ground again with Nico Hoerner ahead of the final year of his contract. Even with the presence of Matt Shaw and newly signed Alex Bregman, he believes there’s still a fit:
“The signing of Alex Bregman this winter shifted Matt Shaw into a utility role, potentially setting him up to take over for Hoerner a year from now, but Hoerner is a proven commodity coming off of his best season (6.2 bWAR in 156 games). The Cubs could look to extend Hoerner again, especially if they like the idea of Shaw moving around the diamond.”
The Case to Keep Nico Hoerner
While the Cubs would likely get a haul in a deal using Hoerner, what he brings to the Cubs infield can’t be understated. His bat might not be the powerful slugger, or even beat out the projections surrounding Matt Shaw, but the defense is elite.
Hoerner has logged time at both second base and shortstop. It’s clear his second base defense is elite with a 14 OAA in 2025, putting him in the 98th percentile. And while his bat doesn’t have a ton of pop to it, he had a career high 114 OPS+ along with a .297/.345/.394 slash line.
It’s likely that the Cubs could find common ground on a lower cost deal, and even if his bat bottoms out, his elite defense will help him retain value throughout any contract extension.
What This Means for the Chicago Cubs
Without a trade, it does look like the Cubs will move forward with Alex Bregman at third with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner holding it down up the middle. Craig Counsell said as much as the team reported for spring training.
Counsell on Matt Shaw’s role: “I think he heard what he wanted to hear, that we are going to play him in multiple positions.” Calls Shaw a major league hitter, proving so with the adjustments he made in the second half in ‘25.
“Matt has a fun challenge ahead of him.” #Cubs
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) February 11, 2026
There is speculation that Shaw could see some time in the outfield, where the Cubs are a bit thin with the departure of Kyle Tucker. If this is the case, with the free agency of Seiya Suzuki also looming, the Cubs could solidify their infield for a few years and keep flexibility open in case of injuries or poor performance.
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