The Cubs made a major splash over the weekend by landing star third baseman Alex Bregman on a five-year deal. As a multi-time All-Star who reliably offers Gold Glove defense at third base and posts offense in the 125 wRC+ range, Bregman is sure to provide a major lift to the club headed into 2026. Strong as the signing is for the team, however, it also creates questions about the future of some of their other players. The 2025 Cubs ended the season with regulars all around the infield. Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner handled shortstop and second base for the third consecutive season, while Matt Shaw entered 2025 as the team’s top prospect and had taken over third base on a regular basis by the end of the year.
The addition of Bregman leaves the club with four infielders for three positions. The designated hitter spot could help. With Kyle Tucker not expected to re-sign with the Cubs, Seiya Suzuki could spend more time in the outfield in 2026. However, Moises Ballesteros is currently the favorite for the DH spot, as he had a strong debut with the bat in 2025 but is considered a work in progress as a catcher.
Having too many guys is a good problem to have but it’s still worth considering whether the Cubs will do something to break up that logjam in the short-term. If they don’t, Shaw is likely to be the odd man out. He has options remaining and could certainly be sent to Triple-A Iowa to open the season, though he could also be carried on the club’s bench in a utility capacity. Hoerner is set to hit free agency following the 2026 season, so perhaps the likeliest option is Shaw taking a depth role for this year before taking over at second base when Hoerner reaches free agency next winter.
That’s a plan that comes with flaws in the short- and long-term, however. For one, Shaw losing the opportunity to get consistent, major league at-bats could have an adverse effect on his development. The 24-year-old turned in a decent rookie season in 2025, slashing .226/.295/.394 (93 wRC+) overall in 126 games. Those overall numbers are hardly exceptional, but he improved as the season went on. After the All-Star break, Shaw slashed a very impressive .258/.317/.522 with a wRC+ of 130 as he crushed ten doubles, three triples, and 11 homers in just 205 trips to the plate.
That considerable power potential Shaw flashed is certainly enticing, but it could be difficult for Shaw to build on that success if faced with either inconsistent playing time in a bench role or minor league competition at Triple-A. As noted by The Athletic’s Keith Law in the aftermath of the Bregman signing, Shaw went through several mechanical changes throughout 2025 and at times resisted help from the Cubs’ coaching staff. The youngster’s numbers took a turn for the worse during the final weeks of September and into the postseason, so it’s possible there’s more tweaks left for him to make as well.
That could make trading either Hoerner or Shaw himself a viable outcome. Hoerner’s name has popped up semi-frequently as a trade candidate over the past two offseasons, and it’s certainly easy to see why rival teams would have interest. The 28-year-old is coming off a career year in 2025. He posted a 109 wRC+ and struck out at a microscopic 7.6% clip in 154 games for Chicago. Over the past four years since becoming an everyday player, Hoerner has slashed .284/.339/.389 (105 wRC+) with an above-average wRC+ in every season. He’s paired that solid bat with elite defense at second base and also demonstrated the ability to be a above-average defensive shortstop before being bumped to the keystone by the team’s signing of Swanson back in 2023.
Taken together, Hoerner has been worth 19.6 bWAR and 17.5 fWAR over the past four seasons. That consistent four-to-five win production up the middle is certainly attractive, especially with Hoerner set to make an affordable $12MM salary this year.
The Mariners, Giants, and Yankees are among the teams that have been connected to him in trade to this point. Even as teams have come calling after Hoerner, however, the Cubs seem unlikely to deal him. Signing one impact infielder just to trade another would undercut the improvement offered by signing Bregman, and so it’s not a shock that The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma has suggested that the Cubs would have to be “blown away” in order to deal Hoerner.
Perhaps, then, trading Shaw to a team where he could get consistent playing time in a bid to either add more impact to the roster or beef up a flagging farm system could be the best course of action available to the Cubs. Shaw still has six years of team control remaining and will make the league minimum in 2026, meaning that he could be a fit for a number of teams that might want to upgrade their offense on the cheap. The Pirates, Guardians, Royals, Athletics, Angels, and Nationals are all teams that struggled to find production at either second or third base last year and could appreciate Shaw’s years of control and affordable price tag.
Even that comes with risks, however. Shaw’s value is arguably down relative to this time last year, when he was a consensus top-30 prospect in baseball. Additionally, Hoerner’s status as a pending free agent would make trading Shaw a big risk if not paired with an extension for Hoerner. The upcoming free agent class is reasonably deep in middle infield talent (Ha-Seong Kim, J.P. Crawford, Jazz Chisholm Jr.) but successfully landing one of those players is no guarantee. The team’s internal options behind Shaw are lackluster, as well. James Triantos was once one of the team’s better prospects but had a disastrous season at Triple-A last year that calls into question his prospect status. Jefferson Rojas had a solid year in 2025 but may not be big league ready by 2027.
How do MLBTR readers think the Cubs will handle their infield logjam? Will they work out a trade involving Shaw or Hoerner prior to Opening Day, or will they simply carry both players into the season despite the lack of playing time available? Have your say in the poll below:
Will The Cubs Trade An Infielder This Offseason?
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No, they'll keep both players. 56% (3,078)
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Yes, they'll trade Nico Hoerner. 26% (1,443)
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Yes, they'll trade Matt Shaw. 17% (937)
Total votes: 5,458
I’m a rival of the cubs, but they should really deal Swanson and not Hoerner.
Who’s gonna tell him?
Metvino—I’ll tell him…..somebody with the Chisox in his name is not a rival of the Cubs. Cubs play in a division and league with the Cardinals, Pirates, Reds and Brewers.
Just another Sox fan worried about the Cubs.
Pretty sure that’s what you meant.
White Sox are an oops child team the Cubs always forget lives under the same roof until the crosstown holiday gathering.
To be fair the Brewers did play in the white Sox division before Bud ruined everything. Brewers have only been an NL team for 28 years.
Seems like you’re trying to speak that into existence
This time i was sincere
omg…..🤣
Chisox- Swanson has 4 years of control, compared to 1 year of control on Hoerner. You can’t really move Swanson, but Hoerner, on the other hand, has great trade value, and with only a year of control left, it makes sense to move him.
The difference is Hoerner is a top 25 batter in the game while Swanson is over 200 batter in the game
Dansby has a full no trade and a massive contract. The idea of trading Dansby isn’t a thing
Swanson’s contract really isn’t massive. It’s 4/$109M remaining, some think Bichette will get more than double that.
Chisox378,
How do you define “top 25 batter?”
Nobody is paying Bichette double that to be their SS
Chisox – There is no way on God’s green earth that Nico Hoerner is a top 25 hitter. There are 30 mlb teams, you trying to say Nico is most teams best hitter? That’s just patently false.
It’s big enough where the Cubs would have to chip in some salary if they traded him, but Dansby has the final say and the deal has worked out for the Cubs so far. I think all the NTCs they have are okay so far.
Hoerner had 4.5 WAR #25 in baseball his defensive WAR was #6 in MLB #1 WAR for second baseman
Why you citing WAR when the assertion was about being a top 25 hitter? There’s no doubt he’s a great player.
Struck out only 49 times in 650 pa. Good average. Doubles. Hard to find that in todays game. Good at bats
114 OPS+ in his best season last year. That’s good but certainly not top 25.
Good at not striking out, sure. Top 25 hitter in the mlb… you’re out of your mind.
So they trade Swanson, keep Nico, then Nico becomes a FA at the end of the year. If the Cubs want him back they’ll have to outbid teams like the Dodgers, NYYs, and Red Sox. If they wanted Nico over Swanson in the long run they should have extended him a couple years ago. And I’d guess they probably tried to but couldn’t.
Extend Hoerner now, trade Swanson and free up money
looks like you missed the part about swanson’s no trade clause.
There’s no way Nico agrees to an extension now. Not with a big FA pay day so close. It’s why I said they should have tried to extend him a couple years ago, and they probably did. Nico probably had the idea of getting to free-agency all along.
And at this point the Cubs would have to eat some of Swanson’s salary to move him. They aren’t saving much, if anything at all, paying Nico not to become a FA, and partly paying Swanson to play for someone else. In fact they could lose money in that scenario.
I’m not so sure about that. Everything Hoerner has said is that he wants to remain a Cub. I don’t think he is taking a discount but maybe something in the 5/100MM range would be enough to get it done.
Players say that all the time that they’d like to stay where they are. And I believe they mean that when the say it. But when it comes to actual figures, and a difference of millions of dollars, those same players can be convinced to change their mind,
As a Giants’ fan I remember Sandoval said he wanted to be a Giant for life and then departed for the Red Sox. Didn’t Freddie Freeman say he wanted to stay in Atlanta?
I don’t know what’s in Nico’s mind. Maybe he’s willing to give the Cubs a hometown discount to stay, and if so, good for him and the Cubs, It’s just that when push comes to shove and actual contract terms enter the game. things can change. And I don’t think 5/100 gets it done unless he offers a discount.
They did extend him a couple of years ago. This is the last year of that extension.
That extension bought out his arb years. If they didn’t want to see him leave when he reached free-agency they should have extended him a couple years ago to buy out some of those FA years.
2025 would have been Nico’s platform season into free agency. They “overpaid” him the first two years of the contract to buy out one year in free agency.
Whatever the specifics, he’s getting to free-agency at age 30. He has a lot of talent that is desirable to many teams. It may have not have ever been possible, but if the Cubs had wanted to extend him deeper into his FA years, what chance there was is probably gone.
100% they should keep both Hoerner and Shaw in 2026.
Aloha MLB100, I can’t believe how some Cub fans are still complaining that the team is cheap after paying Alex a premium? Then many of these fans are ready to ship off Nico, a heart and soul of this team who had his best WAR/production this year to lead the team with 6.2 and think they can recover it quickly in order to have a strong campaign this coming season?! Fans are fickle. I agree, both need to stay and folks like Nico/Dansby and Alex mentor Shaw so well that he could be Zobrist #2! We’ll see what happens. Mahalo
Aloha KG my friend- People really need to get a grasp of the NTC contract. Swanson came to Chicago because his wife is a star athlete in her own right and plays in Chicago. What’s so hard to get? He’s NOT GOING ANYWHERE! As far as trading Nico goes I wouldn’t this year and I’d ride it out after this year. You can only move him if you get a guy who can play SS back. So if somebody already has one, Why would they do that? Every player who is worth anything wants to be a FA after his arb years and go for the one big payday. It’s the smart thing to do. The Cubs have invested heavily in Middle infield talent both in the draft and the international market with the idea this day is coming. Hopefully it pans out. They will not offer him a QO, Because he might take it. You only offer QO offers to people you KNOW won’t take it. They already got burned on Shota. I don’t think they’ll be dumb enough to do it again. Have a good one. Aloha
Aloha Uncle, I hear you loud and clear. I think you mentioned the NTC in another post and that Jed loves to give them out like candy 🍭, LOL! I don’t expect Dansby to go anywhere. I think it Shaw is to become a “Zobrist” type of player, he benefits by having Nico. I think Jed would be stupid to trade Hoerner away this year but totally understand Nico wanting to test the market after the season ends. BTW other players with NTC’s on the team, Seiya and Happ, one wonders if the FO extends either one or let’s them walk. Mahalo!
Good luck moving that NTC Dansby has.
Pretty sure Dansby got a full NTC. Jed loves to hand those out like Halloween candy. Trading Swanson or even Happ and moving Shaw to LF would make more sense than trading Hoerner IMO but thanks to those NTCs neither is going anywhere.
Exactly right!
I logged in to grace thee with my wisdom.
They will wait until trade deadline to decide.
Whatever you say Pol Pot.
I agree BTW. I just like your screen name there Chairman Mao.
Thank you. It was inspired by all the recent rule changes.
Man, Hoyer better not trade either Shaw or Hoerner…
Why not?
Mostly because a trade will be hard to make sense of. Hoerner will get a QO and have a draft pick attached. The trade needs to both account for Hoerner’s value to the Cubs’ 2026 lineup AND the draft pick compensation. I’m not confident a team would pay for both of those considerations.
The Cubs are likely better off letting Shaw hold the role that the likes of Workman, Berti, and Brujan tortured them from last season. He then serves as long-term insurance, if the Cubs lose Hoerner in FA. Hoerner+Shaw this season and Shaw+comp pick next season likely outweighs any trade offer they’ll get.
Man you guys really put too much thought into this stuff sometimes
So, conversely, are you saying you don’t put enough?
I putt all the time, I go to the practice green twice a decade, and just played mini golf seven summers ago. Came in sixth.
Not really, some of us are just capable of thinking beyond our immediate field of vision.
Trading away a 5/6 WAR (fang/bbref) in Hoerner defeats the purpose of adding Bregman cause the team wouldn’t be any better.
I could see Cubs moving Hoerner if someone like BOS offered Early but if you’re BOS wouldn’t you rather trade for two years of Donovan instead?
I agree that signing Bregman to let Hoerner walk is something I find silly. However, it seems they think Bregman+Shaw is a better long-term offense than Hoerner+Shaw.
I selected that Nico is getting traded based on my ultra-reliable Fan-Hope meter, which indicates that somehow Cashman overcomes his own deficiencies and convinces the Cubs that he has prospects for them, without dumping the farm.
And, I don’t want to brag, but my fan meter is 125% accurate also.
How attached are you to Schlittler? That’s why it won’t happen lol
If Nico had more control, a trade wouldn’t surprise me. Teams would be more willing then to part with quality pieces. But, at this point, IMO Nico has more value to the Cubs than what the return would be.
And they’d be selling low on Shaw who’s cheap enough to keep. The only issue would a roster one.
Shaw hit really well in the second-half, and showed himself capable of playing 3B in the majors, on top of being a highly rated prospect as a 2B. I don’t think they’d have to sell low to trade him at all.
Shaw did have a good 2nd half, but really had only one exceptional month, and tailed off in Sept. Overall he was league average in 2025. That’s fine, but a little disappointing given his prospect status,
My point was he’s better than he’s shown so far so moving him probably doesn’t get equal value back, and as mentioned he’s inexpensive so better for them to hold on to.
Is would be taking 2 steps back after taking 5 steps forward with the Bregman signing.
It will be absolutely asinine if they traded Nico or Shaw.
Extend Nico 6/110
Somebody is going to go 6/150 for him to be their starting SS
Probably why he’s suggesting they extend him now.
Nico is an Ivy Leager. You think he’s stupid?
But he’s isn’t taking 6/110 now if he thinks he can get 6/150 or more on the open market.
I dont think he is getting years at 25 mil or more at 29 heading toward 30 his base stealing abilitys will fall off in his early 30s..without out that it drops his overall value..maybe 3 to 4 years at 25..if he wanted a 6 years or more deal something in 20 mill aav seems more likely
I have no doubt he will get something around $25M per in free-agency. He can market himself as a superior defensive SS with a decent bat. He would be an upgrade for teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, even the Dodgers. That’s why I doubt the Cubs can extend him unless they do offer a $25M AAV. Plus Adames was only a year younger and he got 7 years. Nico is not foregoing free-agency to sign for 4 years or less.
There has been one 6+ WAR player traded. Soto. He had 2+ seasons of team control. It just doesnt happen with rentals because it’s impossible to replace that level of production in that type of trade.
I dont think Shaw gets traded either, mostly because he has too many holes in his game. Corner IF have little value beyond their current team unless they have great power. Shaw does not. His 3.1 bWAR was based entirely on a 12 DRS. On defense he has huge question marks with range in the 36th percentile on StatCast and arm strength even worse. His FRV was 45th perventile, a -1. Below average offense in a large enough sample size combined with below average defense is not all that valuable in trade. Combine that with a bad decision on the PR front to both leave his team in the middle of a playoff hunt and then speak at the TPUSA event and his trade value is negligible.
I do know he was a top prospect, but they flame out at a high rate so that won’t be enough to provide enough value to another team.
Both stay. Shaw does utility duty and hopes that Hoerner doesn’t get extended.
There have been a few 6+ WAR guys traded – Betts for sure was.
After PCA, Shaw has the most trade value on the Cubs. He has six years of control and was average overall during his rookie year. As a first rounder with very good minor league numbers, he projects well going forward. Going to a friend’s funeral during the season and then saying uncontroversial things at a conservative rally does nothing to his trade value.
TPUSA is controversial. It has caused him and the Cubs tremendous backlash. It would affect the return the Cubs would receive in trading him. That is why I would guess they will keep him. Especially after a season in which he did not excel at any part of the game. Minor league numbers do not equal major league numbers. 71% of 1st round position player picks make it to the majors, but only 11% stick as regulars. Which will he be? Time will tell.
@Bucket: To some of us, the rally was far to the right of respectable “conservatism”; it was theocratic and medievalist. But I agree with you, that has nothing to do with Shaw as a player or with the Cubs as an institution or as a business, or with his trade value.
Overall, Shaw’s first season was shaky on the offensive side. Let’s hope he accepts coaching and gets better.
Best, there were other players traded that were coming off a 6 WAR season. Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Giancarlo Stanton, Arod, Mike Piazza, and Rickey Henderson since the advent of free agency.
Betts was the only one with just one year of team control and that did not turn out well for the Red Sox. I don’t think the Cubs will repeat that mistake.
I do agree with you that Hoerner will not get traded. It’s almost impossible to replace that type of production in year one by trading a player with just one season of control. The only team I have seen do it is the Padres when they traded Soto and Grisham to the Yankees.
Hoerner is the one that shows up in all the rumors. Shaw finished the season well.
If I had to go to Vegas and make a bet they don’t make a deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if they moved Hoerner. Though if they package Shaw they could make a run at Skubal or one of the Reds good young pitchers. The rotation is solid but they don’t have that true ace. A Shaw, Wiggins, Rojas and Alcantra would be a strong package .
Wiggins, as the only premier pitching prospect they have, is going nowhere.
Shaw and Horton off to Detroit for Skubal. Jed pulls a trade for one year of Skubal like he did last year for one year of Tucker.
Tigers need another Horton!
Or…Tigers get off their butt and sign Skubal.
Thanks, I needed a good belly laugh. No way in H. E. Double L is Cade, their best pitcher, going anywhere. Especially for a rental. Zero chance. Wiggins either. Nonsense.
And yet his name is mentioned prominently in articles. Trading for the best pitcher in baseball costs. Just like Tucker cost the Cubs last year.
Reporters wanting to sound knowledgeable about surreptitious front office happenings that never go anywhere is old hat. Doesn’t make it in the least true. The cubs other than Cabrera have zero pitchers with velocity starting. Cade and Wiggins and no one else. With that dynamic in place it’s easy to see why they won’t be traded, although reporter a and b like to sound omniscient and say it will. They misunderstand the dynamic.
Sure Kenny. Just like they wouldn’t trade Cam Smith and Paredes last year for Tucker. Fans often overvalue their teams prospects.
Horton showed well last year. Wiggins has proven nothing and I never even mentioned him. Skubal has won back to back Cy Youngs and would make the Cubs World Series favorites. Your current pitching staff does not.
trade matt shaw for tyler robinson
As serious contenders, the Cubs figure to keep both players through the 2026 season. That could change if they negotiate a contract extension with Nico Hoerner. In that case, trading Matt Shaw makes more sense since Hoerner, Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson will all be locked up through at least 2029.
Logical-if Hoerner is approached with extension terms both like, Shaw could be dealt at that point for a cost controlled OF so that the outfield cheapness balances out expensive infield.
The key phrase being “extension terms both like”. For Nico to sign he needs to believe that what the Cubs offer is equal to or better than what other teams will offer him on the open market. If not he’s not going to like it. And if the Cubs think they need to beat any imagined future offer, not sure they’d like it.
I suppose if Nico gave them a hometown discount they could find common ground. But not sure Nico would do that.
Nico Hoerner signed a 3yrs./$35M contract extension ($11.5M in 2024, $11.5M in 2025, $12M in 2026) in March of 2023 after already agreeing on a $2.5M salary in his first year of arbitration eligibility. That extension bought out his final two arbitration years and tacked on a $12M salary in exchange for his first potential year of free agency.
Thus far, Hoerner has earned every penny of that extension and more. He’s posted bWAR scores of 4.2, 5.5, 3.7 and 6.2 since becoming a Cubs regular in 2022.
The Cubs should begin Hoerner extension talks with a 6yrs./$120M offer that would keep him in Chicago through his age 34 season. The Cubs will have to be generously proactive with their first proposal considering that Hoerner will be able to sell himself as a SS as well as a 2B next winter (barring a work stoppage) that looks to be short on quality middle infield free agents options.
Nico would have to be convinced that he couldn’t do better than 6/120 as a FA for him to sign an extension. It wouldn’t surprise me that some team would better that offer.
Adames got 7/182. Adames has more power, but Nico is superior defensively. Nico has averaged a slightly higher bWAR over his career. Adames was a year younger entering free-agency, so I agree a 6 year offer seems probably, but IMO somewhere around $150M.
So barring a hometown discount, Nico should reject an extension offer of 6/120, and test the market, since it’s reasonable that he can do better. He would be an upgrade at either SS or 2B for several clubs with deep pockets.
Best case sceniro for the cubs they convince nico to take a 3 to 4 year deal..u keep shaw as a platoon this year and see if he can play some outfield in the future happ is done after this year..if nico wont bite..as long as shaw continues to progress then maybe u flip nico at the deadline get something in return rather then lose him after the season and have nothing to show for it
If Cubs are in contention coming into the trade deadline- and if Bregman and Hoerner stay healthy- Shaw would make a nice trade piece to add someone essential at the deadline. Sitting on the bench, Shaw’s trade value will remain steady; the more he plays, the more likely holes in his skill set emerge and get used by rival teams to offer less in return for a player swap.
Amazing to me how Hoerner just gets devalued. He’s been solid his entire stint with the Cubs, and was their best player during the homestretch last year. Dude was automatic with RISP.
Yes, the whole infield. We need a good ol’ fire sale!
The main reason they signed Bregman is because they don’t truly believe in Shaw. Swanson’s no trade clause eliminates him. Hoerner only had one year of control and they won’t get a lot for a rental. Sell Matt Shaw while he still has that prospect pedigree before it deteriorates even more. He has that potential, so sell it while you can, IMO!
Trading Hoerner undoes everything positive from the Bergman signing.
The Cubs are not going to trade Hoerner.
I understand why the national media think they might: The national media don’t really know the Cubs dynamic and see everything from 35,000 feet up, as the saying goes. They are connecting dots that aren’t there.
But I don’t understand why my fellow Cubs fans consider it to be even a possibility.
The Cubs are not going to trade Hoerner because he is their best player. Also, because he is Hoyer’s biggest pet among all of Hoyer’s pets. Also, because the Cubs don’t need to trade him to get under the CBT level. Also, because they don’t really mind the possibility of losing him via free agency in November because they would get a draft pick.
They aren’t going to trade Shaw either, because he is cheap, and no other team really wants him anyway. He is perceived by the other teams as having been a qualified flop last season–and they are right.
This was good until you got to Shaw flopping.
I could see a trade of Shaw to the Mariners who are looking for a 2B that can hit. They have a surplus of young outfielders. I don’t see this being a blockbuster deal for either side. But it might balance the rosters. Seattle has three prospects on the infield for two positions. Shaw would give them one more choice with a better bat if they abandon their pursuit of Donovan.
Trading Shaw is equivalent to the Phillies trading Sandburg. It’s not going to happen especially with Hoerner approaching free agency next season. Imho I believe he’s a better shortstop than Swanson who should be moved to second base.
I would extend Horner and trade Shaw. Shaw is obviously not fully committed to the team or he wouldn’t have left the team during a pennant race to attend a pep rally.
There shouldn’t be a comma before “as well.” How do you get this correct and then later mess it up in the same article?
“Perhaps, then, trading Shaw to a team where he could get consistent playing time in a bid to either add more impact to the roster or beef up a flagging farm system could be the best course of action available to the Cubs.”
What a disaster of a sentence. A run-on sentence where “then” makes it even choppier. You need to learn how to separate clauses.
Perhaps trading Shaw to a team where he could get consistent playing time—in a bid to either add more impact to the roster or beef up a flagging farm system—could be the best course of action available to the Cubs.