Coming off their first playoff berth in five years, the Chicago Cubs have a wide range of offseason outcomes on the table.
When it comes to the infield, Chicago could choose not to rock the boat, as all four projected starters are coming off promising seasons. But the Cubs have also been linked to three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman for the second-straight offseason, and if he comes walking through the door, someone has to step aside.
Looking across the infield, the only player who makes any sense to move on from is second baseman Nico Hoerner, who is coming off his best season yet as a professional. He received down-ballot Most Valuable Player votes for the first time, won his second Gold Glove Award, and racked up a remarkable 6.2 wins above replacement.
However, with Hoerner headed into the final year of his arbitration extension, one insider believes it’s not out of the question for the Cubs to make a transformational move.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com identified a trade candidate from every major league team on Saturday, and chose Hoerner for the Cubs due to his expiring contract and second-year man Matt Shaw’s ability to shift off of third base.
“Hoerner is in the final year of the three-year, $35 million extension he signed in March 2023, and while he may not be a likely trade candidate, his situation features the kind of ingredients that make him an ideal trade fit,” wrote Feinsand.
“Hoerner’s elite defense, consistency at the plate and leadership make him a valued member of the Cubs, but Matt Shaw could slide over to second base, opening third base for any number of available options this offseason.”
If there’s any case to be made for the Cubs to trade Hoerner outside of his impending free agency, it’s that he excels in most of the things the Cubs already do well as a team (defense, contact hitting, and baserunning). Perhaps Chicago will look to bring in a more powerful infield bat (see: Bregman), especially with high-priced right fielder Kyle Tucker widely expected to leave in free agency.
Still, six-WAR players under age 30 don’t get traded very often, so as Feinsand freely admits above, it would register as a pretty serious shocker if Hoerner got moved.
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