At the start of the offseason, it felt inevitable that the Yankees and Cody Bellinger would reunite. That may still happen but it seems up in the air at the moment. Talks between the two sides have seemingly stalled out. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports today that both sides have been exploring alternatives lately. Bellinger has interest from other clubs. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been touching base with free agents Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, who they have been connected to previously. They’ve also checked in on trade candidates Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs. The Yanks’ interest in Hoerner was first reported by Pat Ragazzo of SI.
Bellinger spent 2025 in the Bronx and it seemed to go well. He hit 29 home runs and slashed .27/.334/.480 for a wRC+ 125. He stole 13 bases and played all three outfield slots as well as first base. He appeared to be especially comfortable in Yankee Stadium, slashing .302/.365/.544 there. He opted out of the final season of his contract, taking a $5MM buyout and leaving a $25MM salary on the table. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Bellinger to have enough juice for a five-year, $140MM deal.
It was reported on New Year’s Day that the Yanks had made an offer to Bellinger. A few days later came reports of a second offer. No details of either offer were initially revealed but further reporting indicated the sides weren’t close to a deal. Subsequent reporting has put the Yankee offer at five years and over $30MM annually, putting the guarantee somewhere in the vicinity of $155MM. That hasn’t been enough to get a deal done with Bellinger hoping to get to seven years.
It seems the two sides have taken a break from the staredown to look elsewhere. Heyman says they continued talking over the weekend but each party is considering alternatives. Heyman mentions the Dodgers, Giants and Mets as clubs believed to have interest in Bellinger. Those clubs have all been tied to Bellinger via rumors earlier this winter but are imperfect fits. All three could use outfield help to varying degrees but they also appear to be trying to avoid long-term commitments at the moment.
Since the hold-up between the Yankees and Bellinger appears to be the length of their offer, it’s hard to envision any of these clubs outbidding the Yankees. Any of the three could perhaps change their stance to take advantage of this opportunity but it also could be more likely that those clubs would prefer to get Bellinger via another short-term, opt-out laden deal. It’s unclear if he would want to do that after going down that road a couple of years ago, but it presumably depends on where things go in the next few weeks.
The Blue Jays have also been connected to Bellinger this winter but it seems they are more focused on Bichette and Tucker with Bellinger perhaps a backup plan. The Cubs were also connected to their old friend Bellinger this winter but signing Alex Bregman is presumably their big splash of the winter.
For the Yankees, they could perhaps increase their offer but are also seeing what else is on the menu. With Hoerner, it’s unclear if the Cubs have any interest in trading him but he has been in rumors and it’s arguable they should consider it. Hoerner is a good player but is a free agent after 2026. With the Cubs recently signing Bregman, their infield is now a bit cluttered. Putting Bregman at third bumps Matt Shaw to the bench.
If they wanted to, the Cubs could trade Hoerner and then move Shaw to second base. That would declutter things a bit and also should bring back something of note. Hoerner’s $12MM salary this year is very affordable considering his production. He doesn’t hit a ton of home runs but rarely strikes out, relying on his contact, speed and defense to provide value. It’s a combination that works, as FanGraphs has credited him with 3.9 wins above replacement or more in each of the past four years.
It could also give the Cubs a bit more breathing room in terms of the competitive balance tax. The Cubs went narrowly above the CBT in 2024 but have otherwise stayed under the line in each season from 2021 to the present.
RosterResource currently estimates them for a CBT number of just over $243MM, putting them less than a million from this year’s line. A team’s CBT number isn’t calculated until the end of the year, so in-season moves can move a club up or down. If the Cubs want to avoid the tax in 2026, creating some space now could be something they consider to give them more ability to make moves at the deadline.
For the Yankees, Hoerner wouldn’t help replace Bellinger in the outfield but he should make the team better. Though he has largely been a second baseman for the Cubs, he is considered good enough to be a shortstop. He has just been on the other side of the bag in deference to Dansby Swanson.
The Yanks have an uncertain shortstop situation at present, hence their previous connection to Bichette. Anthony Volpe is coming off a down year and may not be ready for Opening Day 2026 as he recovers from shoulder surgery. José Caballero currently projects as the top shortstop for the early season, though he has mostly been a utility guy in his career. If the Yanks add a shortstop, then he could return to that role.
The thinking with signing Bichette had a couple of attractions. He could upgrade the shortstop position now, then second base in the future. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is currently the club’s second baseman but he is slated for free agency after the upcoming season. With the Yanks having shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. waiting in the wings, Bichette could cover short for a year and then slide to the other side of the bag with either Lombard or a resurgent Volpe at short.
Hoener wouldn’t be quite the same acquisition, barring an extension, as he is only signed through 2026. Still, that would likely have appeal for the Yankees in a different way. They could upgrade the middle infield for now without making a huge commitment. After 2026, depending on how things go with Lombard, Volpe, Hoerner and Chisholm, they could then decide about how to invest in the middle infield for the long term.
They would, however, have to give the Cubs something of value in return. As mentioned, it’s unclear if the Cubs have any interest at all in flipping Hoerner. Even if they do, they would presumably be looking for some kind of win-now upgrade, likely on the pitching staff. With the Yanks looking for pitching help themselves, it may be challenging to line up a deal that makes sense for both sides.
As for Robert, he is surely available but also tricky to value. He has shown borderline MVP upside but is coming off two years marred by injuries and underperformance. In 2023, he hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases, slashed .264/.315/.542 and got strong grades for his center field defense. But since then, he has made a number of trips to the injured list while slashing .223/.288/.372 for a wRC+ of 84.
The White Sox are rebuilding and will surely trade Robert but are seemingly hoping to trade him at peak value. He wasn’t moved in 2025 even though it was the final guaranteed year of his contract. They picked up a $20MM option for 2026. Teams like the Yankees and others might want to buy low but the Sox are likely motivated to wait. After his down year, it would make sense to hold him until the deadline, with the hope of him getting back in form and therefore increasing his trade value.
The Yankee outfield currently projects to include Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham in two spots. If the season started today, Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones would battle for a third. Domínguez is coming off a rough year in 2025, with an average bat and poor defense. Jones hit 35 home runs in the minors last year but also struck out 35.4% of the time, creating some doubt about how viable his bat will be in the majors.
Acquiring Hoerner wouldn’t do much to change that picture but perhaps the Yanks would be more comfortable with the uncertainty of the Domínguez/Jones combo with a stronger infield. Bringing back Bellinger, signing Tucker or acquiring Robert would strengthen the outfield group, bumping Domínguez to more of a part-time role and keeping Jones in Triple-A.
There are many moving pieces here as the offseason moves into the final weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Tucker, Bichette and Bellinger are the top position players still out there, with a lot of overlapping interest. The Jays are seemingly in on all three, considered by some to be the favorites for Tucker but a Bichette reunion also makes sense. Like Bellinger, Bichette is considering other options. He is meeting with the Phillies today, although that is a bit complicated, as Philadelphia would seemingly have to move on from both J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm to fit Bichette onto the roster and into the budget. The Red Sox just missed on Bregman and could turn to Bichette but they don’t seem too keen on big long-term investments. The Dodgers, Giants and Mets may be looking to get opportunistic if a nice short-term opportunity becomes possible.
It’s a bit of a game of musical chairs with the Yankees and Bellinger some of the key participants. Bregman just found a seat in Chicago but others will have to sit soon. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in about a month, so the music is slowing down.
Photo courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images
I’ve said this already, but to me, why are we spending prospect capital on expiring contracts??? Nico is not going to sign an extension and it’s just a repeat of the last two years.
As for Robert, he has not been good or healthy in a couple of years now. We don’t need another dude like this.
Please no.
Sal
“I’ve said this already, but to me, why are we spending prospect capital on expiring contracts???”
Has anyone answered you? I will
Because you have to give up roughly half as much in prospects to get a player for one year than to get an equal player for 2 years.
Juan you did not even come close to answering his question. Not anywhere near close.
The answer is simple. Because you either spend prospect capital or actual money. If the incoming player can take the team to the next step then it’s likely worth the cost. An extra round in the playoffs is very profitable.
Sp
Yes, I did.
Juan no you didn’t. He asked why are the Yankees trading prospects for expiring contracts knowing the player will not sign an extension with them. You answered by saying how many prospects a team will have to give up if acquiring a guy for one year and how many prospects a team will have to give up if acquiring a player for more than one year. You failed to answer the question. Yes failed.
Sp
You’re getting muted
I did answer
Sal, the person who asked the question acknowledged the answer.
Let me spell it out more directly for you
They trade for those players because they are cheaper than trading for players under longer term contracts it signing players to longer term contracts
I will not read your reply because I’m not interested in interacting with someone who appears to be here for no other reason then to argue
Muted
Ok. Goodbye it is.
This is funny. I got muted the other day by JuanUribe. I fell into a deep depression afterwards and couldn’t sleep. But that’s nothing compared to the torture of waiting for the Mets to make a big signing already. Their situation cries out, and I mean cries out, for Kyle Tucker. The Mets have a huge crater in left field. Do it already.
Oh I get it, Jazzy, but spending prospects on 1 year of anyone to me wasteful unless it’s like last year’s Poteet for Bellinger trade. I don’t mind trade deadline moves because at that point you know whether you’re all in or not, but now? Eh, it’s like we have this bloodlust to have to make a move or WE’RE NOT THE YANKEES and I’m kinda over this short-sighted way of thinking.
At this point, I’d rather invest a little more in either money or prospects t9 get a longer-termed player.
@Salzilla The list of available free agents at, near, or above Nico’s talent level starts and ends with Bichette. So even if a team is willing to over spending they are more than likely to not sign the player.
As for trades, I to Im skeptical of seeing teams give up prospects for rentals. Looking back tho the majority of prospects traded never pan out. The Smoltz, Trea Turner, Tatis’s of the world are few and far between. So teams are forced to pay much more in potential to gain proven talent at the MLB level.
Because Judge (and others) aren’t getting any younger. Nico today is worth a heck of a lot more when coupled with Judge compared to 3 years from now when Judge will (most likely) be in decline. Flags fly forever
Since Flags fly forever, don’t worry, you have plenty from last century. You’re good.
Weird flex pal but okay
I completely understand what you’re saying. Here’s my thought process (as messed up as it is): Hoerner will only be with the Yanks for 2026, then the lockout in 2027. BUT, the Yanks total payroll in 2028 will drop like a rock. They can afford to add in several key positions.
Depending on which prospects, I’d have no problem with Hoerner. It’s likely Cashman will stash those prospects in the minors until they’re useless anyway.
I dunno man, I just think we need new players. I don’t think we can win either way with Cash/Boone, so I guess it ultimately doesn’t matter
Having Robert after adding Grisham is weird, unless they’re trading Dominguez.
Robert is indeed weird. Hoerner I would take in a New York minute. 😁
Clipper
If rosters are frozen today, the Cubs are a better team than the Yankees.
If the Cubs want cheap major league pieces for Hoerner, what would Yankees offer Rice, Bednar or Gil? Zero chance of Rice. Near zero chance of Bednar. Probably not Gil or Lombard.
Hoerner is not going to be traded unless the Cubs get back something really special. The Cubs are the type of team that wants cheap one year rentals, not trades them.
Cubs will keep Hoerner, give him a QO, and likely he will then become a free agent.
I could see the Cubs trading Hoerner to the Red Sox along with a prospect to get Duran, but even that is less than one percent.
The Cubs are not going to offer Nico Hoerner a QO. You can just forget about that. He might take it. They’ll either extend him and then end of the whole trade saga, And then maybe deal Shaw or let him walk. If he makes it to FA they won’t bid for him because Shaw can take his place. It’s simple economics. Why pay someone 22 million when you can sub for him for 1 million.? Nico is a better defender and Shaw has more power. Depends on which way they want to go.
Mike:
I completely disagree. Keeping Hoerner in 2026 makes the team better. They absolutely would make a QO to Hoerner and they would NOT be upset at all if he took it.
Yes, I would be ok to extend Nico now and trade Shaw. But I would prefer to keep both. I think Moises will do well but both Hoerner and Shaw give Cubs some insurance.
Cubs have a very good team right now. They don’t need to make another big move.
I agree Hoerner isn’t going anywhere in 2026. The rest I agree to disagree with.
MLB Top100: I don’t think there’s any chance at Rice – he’s simply too good with too much control. I really like Hoerner, but I wouldn’t trade Rice for him (we will see this year how he performs and how well my comment ages…lol).
But, my thoughts are that the Yankees could trade some of their young, controllable starting pitching. They have a surplus of really good arms. I don’t think Hoerner would be for nothing – he’s a very valuable player.
All of that said to say: I will be shocked if the Cubs trade Hoerner. I will also be shocked if Cashman gave up the prospects necessary to complete the trade, if the Cubs wanted to trade Hoerner. No question in my mind they’d have to give up something good to get him.
I don’t think the Cubs will trade Hoerner for pitching unless it is major league ready for Opening Day 2026. Even that seems really, really unlikely.
Same way they were never gonna give a QO to Imanaga? Right. Don’t count your chickens yet.
Before it’s all over and done with they better prepare a plan to upgrade all the 90mph spin soft tossers they signed when they cheaped out on the bullpen.
@Yankee
You make a lot of odd comments. What prospects have the Yanks stashed in the minors until they were useless?
Are you serious? Dude, I wonder if you pay attention to baseball at all. Look at all the “top 100 prospects” for the Yankees that were supposed to be great, yet they ended up getting nothing in return for? How about Peraza? Sheffield? Garcia? Florial? Abreu? Pereira? Rutherford? Mateo? That’s just since Boone took over.
These guys are just the ones who were in MLBs top 100 that they failed to capitalize on, and who ended up flopping. There are many, many more names they refused to trade for good players, only to give the players away or non-tender them.
I do notice you really like to hover around the Yankees comments and add nothing…. You love to criticize though. Why not do a smidge of research before doing so?
How about some top Yankees prospects right now that are trending downward? How about LaLane? Arias?
@Yankee
I’m going to keep a cool booty and answer you calmly because you sound emotional. “Keeping a prospect too long until they become nothing” implies they kept them until they were too old, didn’t develop and then had to release them. It also implies they were in high demand by other teams. Let’s just go by the names you mentioned. Cashman sold high on Justus Sheffield, whom he acquired from the Indians and held him for two seasons before trading him for Jim Paxson who quickly became one of their best pitchers, albeit for just 1 season before needing surgery. Blake Rutherford was drafted at age 18 and traded to the White Sox as part of a deal that got them players they needed in Todd Frazier, Tom Kahnle and David Robertson. What has Rutherford become? He didn’t make the majors until age 26 back in 2023. He was a 1st pick that they quickly sold high on at age 20. Jorge Mateo was another young, toolsy prospect that Cashman sold high on at age 21 and used him as the centerpiece to get Sonny Gray. Gray had mixed results but that has nothing to do with using Mateo who ended up turning into nothing. But OTHER teams bought into his talent and Cashman used him to get a much needed starting pitcher. Peraza was never a highly desired prospect that teams were clamoring for so i don’t think there was much of a trade market for him and I don’t think the Yanks ever thought he would be a star level player. Guys like Deivi Garcia and Manny Banuelos are all guys that Cashman liked and hoped they would develop into home grown SP. Unfortunately they all eventually to required Tommy John surgery and their careers fizzled after constantly being injured. I’m betting every single GM has few Latin pitching prospects that threw 98 mph that fizzled out do to injury or failure to develop past the AA level. In this day and age what GM isn’t trying to covet their young pitching prospects? Unless it’s for an elite guy who’s a bonafide 20 game winning talent or an elite bat I’m not getting mad at him for trying to build and retain talent like that. So your point isn’t warranted. He sold high on prospects and received mlb talent that filled a need. Give him credit of late for holding on to the guys he has. As for Lalane and Arias, they’re each 20 or 21 old and while they both have great tools they haven’t quite put together enough to warrant calling them up yet. And I don’t remember hearing them brought up in trade talks where Cashman deemed them to be untouchable. So get the sand out your vj and relax.
You love to talk in circles. Andujar, Frazier, Volpe, and on and on. There a few prospects he’s handled correctly, while a significant majority have been released, traded, or reached FA far after their peak value.
You excusing this by claiming they were “centerpieces” in trades or had injuries is besides the point. Cashman doesn’t trade prospects at peak value and most of them turn out to be mediocre (at best) ballplayers, if they even reach the major league level.
Clip, if its a deal like we got Bellinger I’m down, (it won’t only because of $$$)but not if it’s hefty and not if it also means moving Jazz. Like why bother then? Like I’ve said I like Nick a lot, but he won’t be a game changer here.
Dominguez. is overrated. I stopped believing in the Yankees scouting years ago. He might be a decent player off the bench.
Either player would be fine, but only if Kyle Tucker is signed lst though. If not easy pass.
Didn’t know the Yankees were even a player for Tucker. Think it would be news to them too. They are just about to get away from Stanton’s nightmare deal. Why would they do it again?
@Uncle- If Tucker signs for $380 or even $390 million for 10 years, then it definitely would be worth it for the Yankees, not saying it will happen though.
It’s about trying to gain some leverage in the free agent negotiations. Talks have stalled with Bellinger/Boras so now they’re pulling the “oh we don’t need you, we’ll just trade for this guy over here!” trick in hopes that the contract demands come down a little bit.
It’s the Hal way to a large degree. They are gun shy of long term contracts and would prefer to give up farm talent to limit the risks $$ wise.
The luxury tax system has really done a number on the Yankees in that they can’t just buy rings like they used to. I wonder how Hal’s old man would have operated under the current system. I doubt he would have spent like a drunken sailor either. He had an ego and wanted to win at all costs, but if he had to pay another 50 cents for every dollar over the threshold I think it would have given him some pause. Billionaires don’t rich enough to buy and run a major sports team by throwing money away like that.
Try 110% above the ticket price. Yet, he still put $750 m on the table for Soto and even when that gem thru, silent a few hundred mil plus luxury tax for Freid.
Limited opportunities for the prospect/s to play at the major league level
Win now moves are always good imo
Arb players are cheaper than free agents and taxes are expensive at the top end
Prospects don’t win games. Proven players do
Underwhelmed by the available free agents
Not sure why the Yankees would trade for a 2B when they’ve already got a 30/30 dude who’s also a capable defender
I guess if they wanted to plug Hoerner in at short since Volpe has pretty much flamed out that would make sense.
And that’s exactly why they WON’T trade Hoerner this year. Because he’s the only guy they have who can play SS long term if something happens to Swanson. Rojas is starting at AAA this year and has struggled in the beginning at every level he’s moved up. Shaw doesn’t have the range right now, Maybe he improves it maybe not. Right now he’s option #3. He played SS in College but he wasn’t drafted or projected for that in the pros.
Oh I agree the Cubs aren’t trading Hoerner, especially now after they just handed Bregman $175M. They want to win.
I agree..cubs aren’t trading nico right now..at the deadline if shaw takes another step forward..then yeah they might if they need to fill a role because of injuries
They could either put Jazz back in the OF or else try to trade him.
The Cubs aren’t going to trade Hoerner. He’s a 2 time homegrown gold glove winner who steals a lot of bases and was arguably their mvp on that 92 win team. Led the team with RISP and was top 5 in the NL in that stat. They already extended him once and added Bregman to go all in while arguably, the best infield in the NL is still together. They’ll have a season to see what they have in Shaw and then decide what to do.
Because the currently available trade targets are not worth the prospect capital and because the currently available free agents are not worth the capital capital that they are currently asking for. Easy.
@Sal
Why are you so sure that the Yanks can’t/won’t be able to extend Hoerner? They have the money, might not want to extend Jazz and he’s not a Boras client.
Nico is a West Coast guy and with all things being equal and the Cubs being out he’d probably go out that way. Not saying they can’t, Just think they will have to overpay to make that happen.
Yes, Nico went to high school in Oakland and then went to Stanford University. But I think he wants to play for a winning team.
Because the West has no winning teams? Huh? LOL Pretty sure the Mariners and the Giants would be all over it. Maybe even he Dodgers if they want to move Mookie back to the OF. I doubt he’s going to Colorado or the A’s yeah.
@Uncle
Judge, Freid, Stanton, Cole, Sabathia…all from Cali. He’ll get over it and learn to love NY if the numbers are right
Mike
Maybe you are responding to someone else, I sure did not say that the West coast has no winning teams. I just said that I think Nico will want to play for a winning team. Oakland has Wilson and SF has Adames. McNeil and Schmidt would not stop an interested team. Dodgers are actually a team where Nico at middle infield would fit really well when he becomes a FA.
Robert is a payroll bandit if you get him. The guy is always hurt and something is way off there.
Hoo boy! Can’t wait to see a certain type of Yankee fan’s reaction to this
Robert is not for sale, he finally is learning some plate discipline and coming into his own. We would trade him for Hoenrer though.
you would trade a 1.4-win player for a 6.2-win player? how noble of you.
LOL
Oh yeh….Roberts is a “superstar” isn’t he…..two down years with multis trips to the IL list….wow….a real keeper that has tremendous value….would the ‘Sox take Lombard, Schlittler, Warren, and Jazz straight up for him……please let Cash know ASAP…
The pitchers i have no clue about, no to Jazz though, Robert is more valuable to our team.
Then keep Robert. He gets hurt getting out of bed, a couple times a week. Robert is about as valuable as Eloy Jimenez lol. How’d that work out for you?
You mean Robert had a couple months of being ok in the second half so now he’s a valuable player again? You’re a optimistic fella.
I’m a Sox fan and have no idea what they’re trying to do with holding onto Robert. It makes no sense. There’s no chance that they are getting anything significant for him without eating at least half the contract. What’s the point of bringing him back?
@Chi
I can’t see the Yanks wanting him anyway. Other than due diligence I wouldn’t put any thought into that happening. $20 mil for a guy with a sub 300 OBP?
I’m a White Sox fan and wonder why anyone would want Robert (unless my team wasn’t giving up much and Sox were paying a lot of his salary).
Well said…this upside and potential crap is way overblown….
I appreciate your acceptance of reality.
He’s going to have to show some very positive trends for them to be able to trade him at the deadline.
I would love Nico Me So Hoerner! Volpe can pick up his dirty socks when he comes back and maybe learn a thing or 2
Problem is the Cubs will want top value for him and he’s NEVER going to sign an extension without exploring free agency….enough with these 1 year wonders like Juan Soto….Cash how about drafting something other than shortstops for the farm and you wouldn’t have this type of problem…..
Our position player prospects don’t really work out so I don’t really care about prospects anymore when there’s something worth cashing in for. The last one that did was Judge. Hoping we can add Rice to the list, but we’ll see! Dominguez can’t field and Wells is meh
@kev
You mean Wells the guy who’s been top 5 in Def War and total War the last two years?
Sure he’s good defensively, but it’d be nice to hit at least .240. He goes into huge slumps where he’s just an automatic out
Its not the player, the Yankees don’t sign long term extensions.
@rocky
They drafted Caleb Durbin. I liked Williams but finely wanted to see Durby as a Yankee. Lombard needs another two years before we see what he might be. But drafting guys to play SS is generally a good move. They can usually slide to 2b or 3b if needed.
Cubs deserve top dollar because Nico is awesome as a shortstop or second baseman. Second last year for the batting title and another gold glove, great speed and baserunner. They would be fools to let him go period, but to consider it would take a decent haul even for one year. They are under zero pressure unless the pitching return is fabulous.
But are they “ eyeing” him? seriously, in Dodger land there’s been like two years of this guy being in trade rumors to them and I see he’s linked with about four or five other teams but a trade for this guy is kind of like Bigfoot, I’ll believe it when I actually see it.
I do not want the Red Sox to get Bichette. I just feel like Bellinger is coming back eventually so…
Bellinger most likely will not be a Yankee at that asking price though. $35 million a year for 6 years tops.
Why would you top the high offer you already proposed? You’re bidding against yourself!
At this point I would much rather have Tucker than Bellinger, and give him more $ and years. Boras is the worst agent to deal with. He’s always been a nightmare.
That’s an overpay. $30 million for 5 years.
Cashman has awaken.
Jasson, Spencer Jones and Lombard Jr for Skenes. Just get it over with . Call it a day. Quiet the NYY fans up and move on from this off season.
Going to take more than that and I’m a NYY fan!
Yankees simply don’t have the prospect capital.
We do, just going to be more than was said.
Lmfao!! It’s going to take Jones, Lombard jr, Schlittler and one of Rodriguez-Cruz or Lagrange just get the talks starting for Skenes. Would I do this trade, you bet as you get 4 yrs of team control and I probably sweeten the pot offering one of Warren or Gil too!
i’m a yankee fan and even that package is way light for skenes
Jones, Lombard Jr, Schlittler, Lagrange, Gil, Volpe, Rodriguez-Cruz, Hess, Carr, Hampton and more
There are only a handful of teams that have the capacity to trade for Skenes — even if they offer the entire top ten of their farm system.
The Yankees aren’t one.
Yeah I know.
Skenes isn’t going no need to discuss that anymore.
Ballsy proposal, and I am not as informed as I used to be on prospects from other teams (Phils fan). But, at least from what I have heard, there might be more name recognition in your prospects than there is value. Jasson is still an unknown at this point with question marks, and Spencer Jones has huge upside but Gallo-esque swing and miss. Lombard is the surest top prospect with upside with the highest trade value. Pirates would be foolish to take this imho…Skenes will command an outlandish return if they actually decided to trade him now.
Please tell me this isn’t a serious proposal that you think PIT would consider…
You can probably add Gil and Schlitter to that offer and Pittsburgh still says no lol.
Skenes is a pirate until he makes it to his first arbitration year.
Thats enough to get Skubal if Tigers don’t want pitching back.
Without a contract deal, I wouldn’t even consider it.
Maybe swap Lombard for a pitcher
It’s a pipe dream, Cubs have ‘not shown any sign of willingness to trade Nico . And yes even if Cashman had the players to make this happen, why spend it on year player .
Would disagree that adding Bregman clutters the infield for the Cubs when Shaw can become a utility bench bat with the opportunity to still get plenty of plate appearances. Without Shaw on the bench, the Cubs would really only have Alcántara and Austin for depth and neither of them can play the left side of the infield.
Keeping Hoerner would allow the Cubs to take their time this year (or at least until the trade deadline) to see if Shaw can adapt at the plate and become a viable option at 2nd for 2027 and beyond. Cubs could also extend Hoerner and then you kick the can down the road on revisiting making Shaw available.
Hoerner and Bregman are dangerous
Cub Dub – good call. I agree with your vision.
How would giving Shaw sporadic playing time, and not playing him against certain pitchers, convince you of anything having to do with his ability?
Yankees need a Bellinger reunion. His defensive flexibility is core to their long-term planning. If Rice, Dominguez and Jones all deserve playing time, DH can become a rotating role (between Judge, Dominguez and Rice) once Stanton is gone (2 years) with Bellinger covering defensively. Similarly, Bellinger won’t find another team who needs him as much.
Bellinger can mash in Yankee stadium. If he wants to keep putting up good stats he needs the Yankees just as much as they need him. This “impasse” is a charade cooked up by Boras.
Bellinger needs the Yankees more than they need him.
Yankees are having a severe identity crisis.
They’ve become the baseball strategy / team construction version of that Fred Armisen SNL character/sketch Nicholas Fehn.
Trading Hoerner wouldn’t make much sense for the Cubs. The perceived logjam is much ado about nothing given days off, injuries, etc. If they’re trying to win, which they seemingly are, they should be keeping their best players not trading them away.
I highly doubt Robert jr is traded barring a drastic overpay.
nico is durable and doesn’t strike out so he’s not a fit for the yankees
I watch Robert Jr in person a lot, which I suspect most of you don’t.
He is a strange player. He has stretches where he looks like a star, as good as ever or better. Five tools. But then he has stretches where he loses his swing and looks almost unplayable.
That said, his 2025 overall was substantially better than his 2024, and he is still young.
I don’t know if they are right, but I think the White Sox don’t want to trade him. They think that, as their young players mature, contention is closer than most people think, and they see Robert Jr as part of their next playoff team.
As for Hoerner, since the Cubs absolutely positively aren’t going to trade him, I don’t see why people keep writing articles about that.
There is no way they consider him part of the future (I do agree they are closer than people think though). They just want to give him a couple months when he’ll hopefully look good so they can trade him at higher value. As it stands, they’d have to cover half his money just to get a B or C level prospect for him.
Alan, I also see Robert Jr often and besides his ability to stay healthy I question his heart. Since he got paid it looks to me that the desire isn’t the same
I’ve seen almost every game that Robert has played. Initially I was excited that he was on the Sox. But, even during those days I never bought the 5 tool thing. It takes real desire and thought to be a 5 tool guy. Robert has the “look” of 5 tooler but if you watch his routes in CF, his lack of ability to throw accurately, his hustle and his overall demeanor he is just another mediocre guy in a superstars body. I want him to succeed but I’m not sure he wants it. He cashed in on his early reputation but he’s not the stud a lot of people think.
Nobody thinks he’s a “stud” except White Sox fans overhyping him as a star when in reality he’s just another over paid ballpayer….Sox commenters please making him sound like a blend of Mickey Mantel and Ted Williams….
He is slightly above average, when he is healthy.
I am starting to wonder if Yankees do anything
Tell you what you can have Happ and James Tallion cheap. Nico Hoernervno dice
Chisox- Jazz is way more valuable than Robert. Jazz 31 home runs, 4.1 war, and a 125 ops+ in 25. Compared to Robert’s 14 home runs, 1.4 war, and 85 ops+. I know that Jazz only has 1 year of control left compared to 2 years of Luis Robert, but to keep Robert he will be 20 million each season. Which may be a good deal, but it could also be not worth it.
If he’s not worth it, it becomes a one year contract by not picking up the option. Don’t even consider the trade if Chicago isn’t paying any buy out.
$20 million for a guy who hits .230ish is a terrible deal and he’s always got 1 foot in the trainers room…..you must be kidding this guy’s worth $20 million and he may be worth it because of an extra year of the Holy Grail “control”….
.230 avg. How quaint. Now do RBIs
I think all the Hoerner talk is just lazy speculation, and pushing Shaw to super utility is a feature not a bug. Fills a team need and takes pressure off the young guy. I think if the Cubs really wanted to save money, which I also doubt, they could easily trade Taillon and it would be much less of a blow than losing Hoerner who is a team cornerstone.
Nico hoerner I’d have interest in as a lead off hitter for NY but at what cost and where is he playing? 2b and jazz to 3rd or the outfield? They would still need another bat. As for Robert no thanks!
I really don’t get why some people think the Yankees are going to trade Jazz or move him off of his natural position. He’s been a very good hitter for them since he came over from Miami and an excellent defensive 2B to boot. He fits in there really well. Prime age too, so why not extend him and make him part of the core? He’s a proven building block at this point.
If they signed bichette he wouldn’t move, but yeah the Hoerner thing doesn’t make sense.
Hoerner was no slouch at shortstop back in the day, so maybe if they did trade for Hoerner they put him there. Even if he’s below average at defense and just average at the plate it’s a big upgrade over Volpe.
Highly unlikely the Cubs even bother trading Hoerner though. They just backed up the brinks truck for Bregman. They’re gunning for the NL Central title, and hoping to make another WS run.
I can understand Horner but Robert is not worth it. He I think is making 20mil . No Value long term.
Yanks should pivot and try and get Donovan, he wont cost the Yanks as much as Hoerner.
Yeah Donovan makes a ton of sense.
Why are the Cubs always listening to
Offers on this guy?! Is baseball that far gone that a gold glove middle infielder that hits .300, puts the ball in play, but doesn’t necessarily have the power numbers, is a guy you want to try and win a championship WITHOUT?
Every team listens to offers on all of their players. Doesn’t mean they aren’t laughing and hanging up the phone afterwards. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dodgers have gotten some funny phone calls from GMs asking about Ohtani.
I feel like for this rumor to keep popping up, there more to it than the Cubs laughing teams off the phone. I’ve read there are some crazy trades that get discussed but you never hear about them on here or other sites like it. For this one to keep coming up, I just feel like they’re more open to it than they say they are which is crazy to me
He is a rental basically, so they might be more inclined to trade him if they can get a player that helps now and in the future. Plus, they do have Shaw capable of playing 2B and he showed lots of potential especially in the 2nd half. I just doubt it’s anything more than some teams posturing to get better leverage in other trade discussions with other teams and in negotiations with the remaining top free agents.
Just stop it with the Nico trade talk. He’s the heart and soul of the Cubbies and you don’t add Cabrera and Bregman only to subtract arguably your most important player.
Will Robert play enough games to make it worthwhile for the Yankees? Hoerner could slide to SS while Volpe is out but then what? I wonder if the Yankees would consider trying Jazz in the Outfield. Maybe LF would be better for him than CF?
Jazz should stay put at 2B. It’s where he’s been able to play his best and healthiest.
We don’t have to trade Nico
We don’t have to trade Nico
We don’t have to trade Nico
We don’t have to trade Nico
We don’t have to trade Nico
I feel it kind of stupid to sit by and let offers come in on Horner. It just shows the increased interest and raises the salary. It would have been wise just to sign him for a multi year contract, but, with the Yanks and high dollar teams showing interest, it raises the stakes on him trying free agency. Maybe the Cubs intentions. Not so much the fans.
Yanks have a CASHman problem!!!
If the White Sox are still asking a peak Roberts return for a guy with one year of control left and coming off two bad seasons….I don’t see it. NY doesn’t have a great farm, either. They aren’t good enough right now to be considered a WS contender. But one signing won’t change that–so do they really want to stay in CBT purgatory forever? That’s what a 5 year contract, with their existing contracts, will do
If they won’t pay Bellinger, they obviously aren’t in on Bichette or Tucker, who’ll command more.
If you can get Robert for two mid tier prospects then you do it. His floor is Gold Glove defense and 20+ SB with a contract you can walk away from or pick up the option if he hits.