Nico Hoerner trade rumors: Why the Cubs infielder is drawing so much interest and why Chicago may consider it
Plus, which teams could be possible landing spots for the Gold Glove winner?
By
Mike Axisa
•
9 min read
This past weekend, the Chicago Cubs made their biggest free-agent splash in quite some time, landing third baseman Alex Bregman with a five-year contract worth $175 million. There are $70 million in deferrals, which push the average annual value down to $31 million or so for competitive balance tax purposes. Money aside, it's an enormous move for the Cubbies.
Bregman gives the Cubs more infielders than infield spots. Dansby Swanson and Bregman, the No. 1 and 2 picks in the 2015 Draft, are entrenched on the left side of the infield, leaving Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw for second base. Hoerner has been a stalwart over the last six years. Shaw, a natural shortstop, was a Gold Glove finalist at third base as a rookie last season.
Hoerner has drawn trade interest since long before the Bregman signing, and things have only picked up since then. The New York Yankees checked in on Hoerner recently, per the New York Post. The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners have also been connected to him this winter, and surely other clubs as well. Hoerner has an awful lot of fans within the game.
"Everybody has their own intangible qualities. Nico is great at some -- really things that I think other people think they're good at, and they're not as good at it," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said at the Winter Meetings. "... In a sport like baseball, with so many games and so many moments, it shows up a lot. And I think it's a great trait to have, and it's what made Nico a very good baseball player."
Hoerner, 29 in May, joins outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki and starters Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon as core Cubs players scheduled to become free agents after 2026. This coming season very well might be the last run for this group of players, and the best possible Cubs team this coming season has Bregman at third and Hoerner at second, with Shaw in a utility role.
That said, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer would not be doing his job if he didn't at least listen to offers for Hoerner (or Shaw). There is a lot -- A LOT -- of interest around the league and an offer could come across that's just too good to pass up, even if it makes the 2026 Cubs worse on the field. It never hurts to listen even if you don't want to move the player (and the Cubs do want to keep Hoerner).
Why is Hoerner such a popular trade target? Why would the Cubs move him? Where could he end up? Let's break down Hoerner's place in the trade rumor mill with spring training a month away.
Why do teams want him?
Because he's an excellent player, simply put. Hoerner may not give you even 10 home runs -- hitting for power just isn't his skill set -- but he's excellent at just about everything else. He's an elite contact hitter, an elite defender, and a top-of-the-line baserunner. He's also a tough, hard-nosed player with a reputation for being a leader in the clubhouse. It's great performance and great intangibles.
Last year, Hoerner put up his fourth straight season in the 4 WAR range (that's All-Star level production), something only 16 other players have done league-wide. His standout skill offensively is his contact ability. Here's where Hoerner ranked among the 145 qualified hitters in various contact metrics in 2025:
| Hoerner | MLB average | |
|---|---|---|
Strikeout rate | 7.6% (3rd in MLB) | 22.2% |
Swinging strike rate | 4.9% (7th in MLB) | 11.0% |
In-zone contact rate | 95.8% (3rd in MLB) | 85.4% |
In an era of high strikeout rates, Hoerner is one of the best in the game at getting the bat on the ball, and he does it against all pitch types. Fastballs, breaking balls, changeups, whatever. Hoerner also uses the entire field and has a knack for making his hardest contact on a line rather than pounding the ball into the ground like many other high-contact hitters.
Defensively, Hoerner is a shortstop playing second base in deference to Swanson. He's a two-time Gold Glover at second, including last year, and the Cubs typically put him at short whenever Swanson is out of the lineup. Hoerner grades out well there and would play shortstop for more than a few teams around the league (I suspect, in fact, that there's trade interest in him as a shortstop).
Bottom line, Hoerner is a winning player who helps his team at a very high level in so many ways. He gives you tough at-bats and balls in play, he's a vacuum in the field, he runs the bases smart and aggressively, and he posts up every game. Hoerner is the kind of player who allows everyone in the organization to put their head down at night and sleep well knowing he's on the roster.
Why would the Cubs move him?
A good question, this is, because it would make little on-field sense to do it. The best version of the 2026 Cubs has Hoerner at second base alongside Swanson and Bregman, not Shaw. If the goal is winning the NL Central and ultimately the World Series this coming season, then you keep Hoerner and take everything he gives his team when he's in the lineup.
I see two possible reasons the Cubs could trade Hoerner. I'm not saying these are good reasons, just reasons.
1. They want to avoid CBT. Bregman put the Cubs just under the $244 million competitive balance tax threshold, according to both Cot's Baseball Contracts and FanGraphs. Realistically, the Cubs will go over the threshold this year. They'll have to make injury call ups throughout the season and those players count toward the CBT. Trading Hoerner and his $12 million salary would be a quick and easy way to clear payroll, create some CBT breathing room, and get back talent.
2. They get a monster offer. An offer they can't refuse, basically. I have a hard time seeing this because, as good as Hoerner is, he is a year away from free agency and teams will trade only so much for one year of a player (especially one with limited power). The best case trade package probably looks like what the Cubs gave up for one year of Kyle Tucker last offseason (Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith, Hayden Wesneski) and I'm just not sure that's out there.
The Cubs went over the CBT threshold ever so slightly in 2024, though they have generally avoided it the last few years. My guess is they're willing to go a few million over again this year because a) they want to win, and b) they have a lot of money coming off the books after the season, so they can swallow a small CBT tax bill given the financial flexibility that's on the horizon.
That's really it though. The only reasons to trade Hoerner are financial (a bad reason) or because you get overwhelmed with an offer (a good reason). Even then, the shape of that trade package matters. Are you getting MLB players in return? Prospects? A trade that weakens the 2026 Cubs but improves the farm system may not be the best move for them at this point in time.
Which teams could be interested?
As good as Hoerner is, the fact he's a year away from free agency means only contenders will show interest in him. A rebuilding team couldn't trade for him and count on him hanging around until they return to contention, even if they intend to make him an extension offer. Here, listed alphabetically, are seven teams that make the most sense for Hoerner.
Boston Red Sox: Bregman's former team now has openings at second and third base, though young Marcelo Mayer figures to slot in at one of those positions. Getting Hoerner to play second base would significantly improve the team's infield defense, which was a major issue at times last year (especially on the right side of the field). He would also bring balance to a lineup that leans a little too left-handed at the moment.
Cleveland Guardians: Cleveland's projected 2026 payroll currently sits about $24 million south of their 2025 payroll, according to FanGraphs. Their middle infield situation is not great (Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio), and the Guardians could easily slide Hoerner over to shortstop when second baseman Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, is ready. That could be as soon as Opening Day. The Guardians need an offensive boost and the AL Central is winnable.
Detroit Tigers: The Javier Báez resurgence was fun while it lasted, though it didn't last very long (.528 OPS after June 22). Trey Sweeney hasn't distinguished himself in his MLB time either. Hoerner is an obvious fit for a Tigers team that may not have Tarik Skubal beyond 2026. They should do everything they can to maximize this season, and making a trade for Hoerner and putting him at shortstop fits the "win while we have Skubal" plan perfectly.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The two-time defending World Series champions need an outfielder more than an infielder, though Tommy Edman's versatility would allow them to put Hoerner at second and Edman in the outfield (or just move the latter around as a super utility guy). Trading Hoerner to a team you'll likely have to go through to win the National League pennant would be a tough sell for the Cubs. It might take an outsized trade package for Los Angeles to swing it.
New York Yankees: Anthony Volpe will miss the start of the season following shoulder surgery and, frankly, hasn't done anything to suggest he deserves the shortstop job without a fight. Trading for Hoerner would add a needed high-contact righty bat to the lineup and also plug the shortstop hole early in the season. What happens when Volpe returns? The Yankees can worry about that when it happens and not a moment sooner.
San Francisco Giants: Hoerner would be a tremendous fit for a Giants team that could push for a wild-card spot in 2026. They have several ground ball-reliant starters (Adrian Houser, Landen Roupp, Logan Webb) who would love having Hoerner play behind them. Also, his high-contact, spray-the-ball-around approach would mix nicely with spacious Oracle Park. On the field, Hoerner is an excellent fit the Giants and the Giants appear to be an excellent fit for Hoerner.
Seattle Mariners: The Mariners reportedly want to leave lanes clear for their young infielders (Colt Emerson and Cole Young, most notably), but their AL West and World Series window is wide open. Hoerner would improve the 2026 Mariners quite a bit and, because he's a one-year rental, he wouldn't block Emerson and/or Young long-term either. Seattle's payroll is still a bit below its 2025 level. The Mariners should have money to spend and motivation to improve.
What's next?
My hunch, and I emphasize this is just a hunch, is the Cubs will keep Hoerner because they know keeping him is their best chance to win in 2026. They'll listen to offers because hey, why not? It never hurts to listen. The Cubs do love Hoerner though. He's a great player and a clubhouse leader and I'm not sure any trade offers will come their way that reflect how much they value him.
Hoerner is constantly in trade rumors because teams want him, not because the Cubs want to move him. Signing Bregman only to turn around and trade Hoerner, almost certainly for financial reasons rather than baseball reasons, would be nonsensical. The Cubs signed Bregman to add him to Hoerner, not replace him. For now though, teams continue to ask about him and try to pry him loose. I don't think a trade will happen, though the chances a trade does happen definitely aren't 0%.
