Bregman's arrival sparks trade speculation for Hoerner and Shaw. Cubs are listening, but a steep price tag makes any deal unlikely.
The Chicago Cubs made a big move earlier this month by signing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal. That big deal for Bregman, though, has opened up the possibility of a trade.
Both Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw have appeared in trade rumors since Bregman signed his $175 million contract. With Bregman set to be the Cubs' everyday third baseman, Shaw is the odd man out in this infield.
He is expected to be in more of a utility role in 2026, which is why his name has popped up in trade rumors. Horner’s name has also popped up because he is in the final year of his deal with the Cubs. Given the fact that Shaw could take his spot at second base, there is a world where the front office trades him away.
With teams continuing to call the Cubs on both players, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that the Chicago’s front office has been listening on both Hoerner and Shaw this offseason.
“According to sources, the Cubs have been open to conversations on both, and the Sox are among the many teams that have checked in about the two players,” Speier said.
It’s not totally surprising that the Cubs are at least listening on both players. The front office has listened on players in the past, and nothing has ever happened. This is just a way for Jed Hoyer to see what other teams are willing to offer.
However, both players have an extremely high trade price. Hoerner is coming off a season in which he finished with a 6.2 WAR, and Shaw still has six years of team control remaining.
So, it’s hard to imagine a deal going down for either player. That’s basically what Jeff Passan of ESPN echoed when asked about the possibility of the Cubs trading Hoerner or Shaw this offseason.
“I’d be surprised to see Nico Hoerner move at this point,” Passan wrote on Threads. “Dealing Matt Shaw is complicated because the Cubs believe there's more than he showed last season, but teams are valuing him closer to the guy he was than the guy he might be. As of right now, both stay put, but we can't discount that other moves made by other teams compel potential trade partners to re-engage and up their offers.”
It sounds like the only way a deal goes down at this point is if a team is willing to overpay for either player.
If the Red Sox are willing to part with Payton Tolle or Connelly Early in any trade, then maybe the Cubs would be more willing to trade Hoerner or Shaw. But Boston probably doesn’t want to get rid of either prospect.
Therefore, Cubs fans shouldn’t really count on a Hoerner or Shaw this offseason. It seems unlikely with Spring Training just a few weeks away.