The Cubs don’t need to move their Gold Glove second baseman—but if they did, the return would have to reshape their future, not just balance their infield.
From the moment the Chicago Cubs signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract, rumors began swirling about a possible trade involving Nico Hoerner.
Even as someone who is firmly against the idea of trading Hoerner, I’ll admit one thing: carrying both him and Matt Shaw into 2026 creates redundancy. Two everyday-caliber middle infielders, one position to play—it’s an easy setup for trade speculation.
In my eyes, that redundancy is an assett, not a flaw.
Having both Hoerner and Shaw gives the Cubs flexibility and protection. If an infielder struggles out of the gate, or if rookie DH Moisés Ballesteros needs more time to adjust, Chicago has options. If someone gets hurt, there’s an insurance policy already in place. Depth wins seasons.
But not everyone sees it that way. Some executives view Hoerner and Shaw as unnecessary overlap—and rival teams are acting accordingly.
In the 72 hours after the Bregman signing, the Cubs reportedly fielded multiple calls from contenders trying to pry Hoerner away. The New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants are two of the most aggressive suitors.
And while I still believe the Cubs are more likely to hold Hoerner and go into 2026 with their current roster intact, it’s worth asking the real question that I haven't seen answered yet.
What would a Nico Hoerner trade actually look like?
Because the Cubs aren’t operating from a position of need. They filled their roster holes through free agency and trades. There’s no obvious weakness on the MLB roster to target in a Hoerner deal, and it makes little sense for a team with World Series aspirations to trade a premium big-leaguer for lottery-ticket prospects.
If Chicago were to move him, the return would need to be something that helps them now and later—or at least bridges that gap.
The most logical target would be a high-end pitching prospect. Someone not quite MLB-ready but close enough to help when the current rotation begins to turn over.
Right now, the Cubs have a full six-man rotation when healthy—Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Shota Imanaga. There’s no immediate opening and the three worst pitchers in that group (Boyd, Taillon, and Imanaga)) are all making north of $14.5 million.
But Taillon and Imanaga are both entering the final year of their contracts. Boyd has a mutual option for 2027 and is also likely headed for free agency. The Cubs will need rotation reinforcements soon.
That’s where the Yankees could be a great fit in.
They have two arms who make sense in this framework.
Carlos Lagrange is the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 74 prospect in baseball. He’s a 22-year-old right-hander standing 6-foot-7 with a fastball that touches 102 mph and carries a 70-grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. He also features a plus slider, with usable cutter and changeup.
In 2025, Lagrange posted a 3.53 ERA with 168 strikeouts in 120 innings, reaching Double-A. Command remains a work in progress, but his upside is enormous. With refinement and another full season of innings, he could reach Triple-A in 2026 and debut in 2027 as a true impact arm.
Elmer Rodríguez is the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect and MLB’s No. 97. He’s less electric than Lagrange but more polished. Rodríguez dominated High-A and Double-A in 2025 before earning a late-season Triple-A promotion, finishing with a 2.58 ERA over 150 innings.
That pair represents a realistic starting point if Hoerner were headed to New York.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Spencer Jones, a corner outfielder with big power that could debut at some point in 2026 and become a middle-of-the-order force to replace Happ by 2027.
San Francisco presents a different path.
The Giants don’t have the kind of high-end pitching prospects that fit the Cubs’ timeline, but they do have some interesting bats. And after dealing Owen Caissie in the Edward Cabrera trade, Chicago’s upper-level outfield depth is thin—an issue with both Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ entering the final year of their deals.
The Giants could address that.
Bo Davidson (Giants No. 5) and Dakota Jordan (No. 6) are both intriguing. Davidson, in particular, reached Double-A in 2025 and offers left-handed power, speed, and plate discipline. He’s the type of player the Cubs don’t currently have in their system.
On his own, Davidson probably isn’t enough. But if he were paired with a high-upside Top 100 talent like shortstop Josuer Gonzalez (Giants No. 2, MLB No. 82), there’s at least a foundation for a real conversation.
There should be no confusion about the price here.
Hoerner has produced 17.5 fWAR over the past four seasons—an average just shy of 4.4 per year with no peaks or valleys. He’s an elite defender up the middle, a tough out who puts the ball in play, and a stabilizing presence that makes everyone around him better.
The Cubs are a worse team without him. That isn’t debatable.
So if Chicago ever does move Nico Hoerner, it won’t be to clean up a roster logjam. It will be because another team paid a steep enough price to make it worth the risk.