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Dansby Swanson Not Expected To Miss Time After Surgery For Core Injury

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The Cubs announced that shortstop Dansby Swanson underwent surgery in early October to address an injury to his core. While it is a little surprising that this news is only surfacing two months after the fact, the procedure appears to have been relatively minor, and Swanson is expected to be fully ready for the start of Spring Training in mid-February.

Aside from a knee sprain that sidelined Swanson for a minimal stint on the 10-day injured list back in May, he otherwise had a seemingly healthy season, playing in 149 of Chicago’s 162 games.  Swanson hit .242/.312/.390 with 16 homers over 593 plate appearances, translating to a 99 wRC+ and a diminished .148 Isolated Power number, a step backward from the .176 ISO he posted over his previous six seasons.

A core injury might have been a cause here, though Swanson didn’t seem any worse for wear, and actually hit better as the 2024 campaign went on — Swanson had a .632 OPS in 337 PA in the first half, but a .795 OPS in 256 PA after the All-Star break.  Swanson was one of several Cubs players who had uneven seasons at the plate, and this inconsistency manifested itself in Chicago’s middling 83-79 record.

Since Swanson will be ready to go for all of spring camp, this surgery might just be a footnote in the Cubs’ offseason.  Nico Hoerner’s flexor tendon surgery from October certainly seems like the larger concern, as there still hasn’t been any public word on whether or not Hoerner’s recovery timeline might stretch into Spring Training or the regular season.  This lack of certainty hasn’t stopped Hoerner from being mentioned in trade rumors, but since Hoerner is still on the Cubs’ roster for now, it isn’t great news for Chicago that both starting middle infielders are recovering from surgeries.

Mariners Notes: Bellinger, Hoerner, Payroll

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The Mariners have been connected to a couple of Cubs recently, with recent rumors that they had discussed both infielder Nico Hoerner and first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger. Adam Jude of The Seattle Times took a look at those talks and some other Mariner topics ahead of next week’s Winter Meetings.

Both players are sensible targets for the Mariners, who have infield vacancies and have been trying to cure their strikeout woes for a while. The club’s hitters were punched out at a 25.9% clip in 2023, with only the Twins having a higher rate that season. The M’s moved on from players like Teoscar Hernández, Eugenio Suárez and Jarred Kelenic in an attempt to improve this but the plan backfired. New additions like Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco all struggled with strikeouts themselves, so the M’s actually saw the team-wide rate jump to 26.8% in 2024, tied with the Rockies for the highest in the majors.

Hoerner has only been punched out in 12% of his plate appearances thus far. Bellinger has a higher career strikeout rate of 21.1% but he’s finished each of the past two seasons at 15.6%. Beyond the contact stuff, both players could also fit Seattle’s need for infielders. They turned down a club option on Polanco and non-tendered Josh Rojas. They traded Ty France last year and Justin Turner became a free agent at season’s end.

They are reportedly looking to add at both corners, supplementing shortstop J.P. Crawford. At second base, they are reportedly content enough with using Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss until prospect Cole Young forces his way into the picture.

Luke Raley could be part of the first base solution, though he struggles against lefties and would need to be platooned. He could also be moved to outfield if the M’s add an everyday first baseman. They have interest in re-signing Turner or reuniting with old friend Carlos Santana, but it makes sense that they would consider Bellinger with the Cubs reportedly determined to move either him or Seiya Suzuki and free up their position player mix.

However, pre Jude’s report, the financial components of a Bellinger trade are a factor. The Mariners are reportedly planning to increase payroll next year, but not by much. Jude pegs their spending range at $150-155MM and says they have about $15MM of room at the moment. Cot’s Baseball Contracts pegged the club’s Opening Day payroll at $140MM last year, so that range tracks as a modest bump. RosterResource currently projects the club for a $146MM payroll next year, which seems to be just a tad higher than what Jude is suggesting.

Bellinger’s current contract wouldn’t fit into those parameters. He’s slated to make $27.5MM this year and then will have to decide between a $5MM buyout or a $25MM salary for 2026. As such, Jude suggests that the Mariners would have to include Haniger or Garver in the deal to balance out the money a bit. The Cubs wouldn’t have much interest in Haniger, since they already have an outfield surplus. On top of that, he’s coming off a poor season and is going to make $15.5MM next year.

Garver is a better fit for the Cubs since his primary defensive position is catcher, a spot they are looking to upgrade. However, he’s been injured quite often and become more of a designated hitter over time. He’s also coming off a rough campaign and will make $11.5MM next year, plus a $1MM buyout on a 2026 mutual option.

Perhaps the contract situation will stand in the way of a deal coming together. There’s also Bellinger’s inconsistency and opt-out situation to consider. After some rough seasons where Bellinger was seemingly held back by injuries, he had a nice bounceback in 2023. He hit 26 home runs, slashed .307/.356/.525 and stole 20 bases, leading FanGraphs to credit him with 4.4 wins above replacement. But he couldn’t repeat that in 2024, producing a .266/.325/.426 line while stealing just nine bases and spending less time in center field due to the emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong. His fWAR tally was just 2.2 this year, half of the prior year despite playing in the same number of games.

Bellinger declined to trigger an opt-out in his contract at the end of that middling season but has another opt-out next year. That makes him a tricky gamble for any acquiring club. The best case scenario is that you get him back in good form and he leaves after year one, but even that scenario costs $32.5MM. The downside is that he doesn’t get back to that level and sticks around as an overpaid part of the 2026 roster.

As for Hoerner, it was recently reported that the Mariners had discussed him with the Cubs, but it wasn’t clear how interested they were. Today, Jude says the M’s “covet” Hoerner, so it seems the interest is real from Seattle’s end.

He would be an interesting fit as he is mostly a glove-first player. He has hit .278/.338/.381 in his career for a 102 wRC+. But thanks to his excellent defense and baserunning, he was been worth roughly 4-5 fWAR in each of the past three seasons.

He came up as a shortstop but has been mostly playing second base in deference to Dansby Swanson. He’s generally perceived as capable of returning to shortstop on another club, but the Mariners already have Crawford. Unless the M’s have designs on moving Crawford, then it seems they view Hoerner as a good option to help with their uncertainty at third or perhaps second base.

In terms of salary, Hoerner is going to make $11.5MM next year and $12MM in 2026. That makes him a far better financial fit than Bellinger. Per Jude, the Cubs are looking for MLB-ready help whereas the Mariners would rather surrender prospects. There has been a lot of trade speculation around the Seattle rotation since it’s so strong but the depth is actually not great and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has said that surrendering a big league starter is “Plan Z”.

Cubs To Hire Jose Javier As First Base Coach

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The Cubs are going to be adding Jose Javier to their coaching staff, per a report from Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. He will take over as first base coach, replacing Mike Napoli, who was let go at the end of the 2024 season.

Javier, 32, has spent most of his adult life in the Yankees’ system. As a player, he was in their minor leagues from 2010 to 2015 but never reached higher than the Single-A level. When his playing days ended, he moved into coaching, sticking with the Yankees and working in their minor league system.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been overhauling his coaching staff for next year. Early in October, the club parted ways with Napoli, assistant hitting coach Jim Adduci and bullpen coach Darren Holmes, then also parted with third base coach Willie Harris a few days later. All but Holmes were with the Cubs prior to Counsell being hired going into the 2024 season. Assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos was later poached by the Marlins to be their pitching coach.

Casey Jacobson was promoted to replace Moskos. Quintin Berry is reportedly taking over at third for the Cubs and now Javier will take up a spot across the diamond from him. The club hasn’t yet announced its full coaching staff and it hasn’t been publicly reported who will take the remaining vacancies.

Cubs Reportedly “Determined” To Trade Seiya Suzuki Or Cody Bellinger

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The Cubs are “determined” to trade one of first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger or outfielder Seiya Suzuki, reports Joel Sherman of The New York Post, with the idea of then redirecting their cost savings to upgrade other parts of the roster. Per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs have some interest in catchers Carson Kelly and Danny Jansen as well as relievers Andrew Chafin and Kirby Yates.

The Cubs have been seen as a logical candidate to move an outfielder due to having a fairly crowded mix on the grass. Pete Crow-Armstrong seemingly established himself as a viable glove-first center fielder this year, with the potential for huge value if his offense takes a step forward. For the corner spots, the Cubs have Bellinger, Suzuki and Ian Happ. Bellinger can also play some first base but Michael Busch took that position and ran with it this year.

There are also some other options lurking just below those established big leaguers. Alexander Canario has just 45 major league plate appearances but he has always hit well in Triple-A and is now out of options. Kevin Alcántara and Owen Caissie are both on the 40-man roster and consensus top 100 prospects in the league. Alcántara made a brief MLB debut in 2024 while Caissie spent the whole season in Triple-A and played well, so both are arguably ready for some proper big league playing time. Even with the designated hitter spot open, that’s more guys than the Cubs have spots.

But untangling the knot comes with complications. The prospects and Crow-Armstrong are cheap and controllable, so the the Cubs probably view them as part of the long-term solution, especially since the Happ/Bellinger/Suzuki trio are all slated for free agency after 2026, with Bellinger able to opt out of his deal after 2025. But Happ and Suzuki have no-trade clauses, making it difficult to move them.

Bellinger is also difficult to trade on account of that opt-out. For the Cubs or an acquiring club, the best case scenario is that he plays well in 2025 and leaves, but even that wouldn’t be cheap. He’s going to make $27.5MM in 2025 and then gets to choose between a $5MM buyout and $25MM salary in 2026. That means that even a one-and-done from Bellinger in 2025 will cost $32.5MM. Teams may have some willingness to take a chance on Bellinger bouncing back from a middling 2024 campaign, but the downside is that he doesn’t quite get back into form and sticks around for 2026. In that scenario, the acquiring team would be on the hook for $52.5MM over two years for a struggling player.

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess which version of Bellinger is going to show up next year, given his up-and-down career. He won an MVP award earlier in his career but then suffered through a few miserable seasons, perhaps struggling to get healthy after a notable shoulder surgery. He bounced back with the Cubs in 2023, hitting 26 home runs, slashing .307/.356/.525 and stealing 20 bases. FanGraphs credited him with 4.4 wins above replacement in 130 games. He played the same number of games in 2024 but with his fWAR cut in half to 2.2. His home run tally dropped to 18, he stole nine bases and he played less time in center field as Crow-Armstrong took over that spot.

Lining up with another club on a trade could be difficult, but it’s still a possibility. At the start of the offseason, we put Bellinger on our list of likely trade candidates, though with a spot near the bottom as a reflection of the complications. It was reported this week that the Yankees, Mariners and Astros have checked in about him.

With Suzuki, this is the first suggestion that he is available, and he will surely draw interest. In his 381 major league games thus far, he has hit 55 home runs and drawn walks at a 10.2% clip. His .278/.354/.470 batting line translates to a 129 wRC+ and he has seemingly been getting better over time. His home run total has gone from 14 to 20 and then 21 in his three seasons, with his walk rate climbing year-over-year from 9.4% to 10.1% and then 10.8%. As such, his wRC+ has gone from 118 in his rookie season to 128 and then 138.

Suzuki isn’t considered a strong defender, with the advanced metrics mixed on exactly where to rank him. He has -5 Outs Above Average to this point but Defensive Runs Saved has him at league average overall, and with apparent improvements. He had -4 DRS in his rookie season and then +2 in each of the subsequent campaigns to get back to par overall.

Regardless, the bat should make him appealing and his contract isn’t onerous. He is going to make $18MM in each of the next two years, his age-30 and -31 campaigns, for a total guarantee of $36MM. Comparable free agents are likely to earn far more than that on the open market. MLBTR predicted that Anthony Santander could secure a contract of $80MM over four years, with guys like Teoscar Hernández, Jurickson Profar and Tyler O’Neill projected for the $40-60MM range.

As mentioned, Suzuki has a full no-trade clause. That naturally complicates the possibility of a trade, as the Cubs would be limited in their discussions to whatever clubs Suzuki would be willing to join and it’s unknown what his preferences are or might be. The Cubs will presumably have discussions with Suzuki and various suitors to see what possibilities exist for them. If a deal can come together, it would open up some playing time for their prospects while freeing up some cash for other pursuits.

It doesn’t appear the budget is especially tight right now. RosterResource has the Cubs projected for a $185MM payroll, well below last year’s Opening Day mark of $214MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Perhaps the Cubs are planning to keep spending a bit tight this offseason, as many predicted them to pursue a notable rotation upgrade such as Corbin Burnes or Max Fried. But they recently agreed to a two-year, $29MM deal with Matthew Boyd, a notable expense but far less than what Burnes or Fried are expected to earn.

The club is known to be looking for help behind the plate and Kelly and Jansen are two of the better names available in free agency. Kelly has generally paired some solid defense with passable offense in his career. Though his bat has gone up and down a bit, he has a .224/.307/.373 batting line in his career for a wRC+ of 85. Jansen, on the other hand, had a long stretch as a great hitter but is coming into free agency on a down note. He hit .237/.317/.487 for a wRC+ of 121 from 2021 to 2023 and got out to a roaring start in 2024 as well but then slashed .158/.274/.243 for a wRC+ of 53 after the month of May.

MLBTR predicted a two-year, $20MM guarantee for Jansen as part of our Top 50 free agents list, with Kelly in the honorable mention section. Either should easily fit into Chicago’s budget with or without an outfield trade.

Chafin and Yates both align with the Cubs and their aversion to notable deals for relievers, as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. Since Jed Hoyer took over as president of baseball operations, the club has never given a multi-year deal to a free agent reliever. Last year’s $9MM one-year deal for Héctor Neris was the first time Hoyer went beyond $5MM for a bullpen signing.

Yates just wrapped up a tremendous season, tossing 61 2/3 innings with a 1.17 earned run average and 35.9% strikeout rate. But since he’s turning 38 years old in March and has a notable injury history, he will likely be limited to a one-year deal. MLBTR’s $14MM projection would be new territory for Hoyer, though only slightly. Chafin has been a solid bullpen lefty for over a decade, with a 3.42 ERA in 601 appearances. His last two trips to free agency have resulted in one-year deals of $6.3MM and then $4.8MM.

Yankees, Astros, Mariners Have Spoken To Cubs About Cody Bellinger

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Cody Bellinger has stood as one of the most recognizable but difficult-to-move names on the offseason trade market. Among the teams to reach out recently are the Yankees, Astros and Mariners, reports Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. However, Levine adds that the Cubs aren’t looking to merely shed Bellinger’s salary, nor do they want to cover much (if any) money in a deal. That’s likely to be an issue. ESPN’s Buster Olney wrote this morning that other teams feel the Cubs will need to pay down a notable portion of Bellinger’s salary (or, presumably, take back another contract) if they intend to get much in the way of a return.

The Cubs have been looking to upgrade various spots on the roster but have a tough road to do so, in part due to no-trade clauses for Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. Other positions, like first base (Michael Busch) and center field (Pete Crow-Armstrong) are already manned by promising young players. Third baseman Isaac Paredes was only just acquired at the deadline. Second baseman Nico Hoerner makes some sense as an option to free up some cash and a spot in the lineup for a more impactful bat, but he’s coming off flexor surgery.

That’s led the Cubs to at least gauge interest in Bellinger, who passed on the opportunity to opt out of the remaining two years and $52.5MM on his contract at the beginning of the offseason. Bellinger had a fine year overall, hitting .266/.325/.426 with 18 homers and a tiny 15.6% strikeout rate (his second straight season with that exact strikeout rate). But while those numbers were solid, they pale in comparison to his 2023 showing. He also posted lesser defensive grades both in the outfield and at first bae in 2024.

[Related: Looking for a Match in a Cody Bellinger Trade]

The Yankees have been laying some groundwork in the event that Juan Soto ultimately signs elsewhere, showing recent interest in top-tier free agents like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Willy Adames. That said, there’d pretty clearly be room for both Bellinger and Soto on the same roster. Bellinger could slot in at first base in the Bronx, offering another left-handed bat with good contact skills — a contrast to some of the strikeout-prone righties elsewhere in the lineup. He’d also be good insurance in the outfield, given the injury histories of both Aaron Judge and top prospect Jasson Dominguez. Bellinger could also serve as a safety net in the event that Dominguez looks overmatched early on.

In Houston, the Astros have a clear need at first base after their three-year, $58.5MM deal with Jose Abreu went sideways almost immediately. After a poor first year in 2023, Abreu started the 2024 season so poorly that he consented to being optioned to the minors. That Triple-A stint didn’t help, and Abreu was released less than halfway through that three-year deal. The ’Stros subsequently gave most of the playing time at first base to Jon Singleton, who provided light offense and subpar defense the rest of the way.

For the Mariners, first base has emerged as a clear need. They have at least one intriguing in-house option in prospect Tyler Locklear, but the M’s have been linked heavily to veterans Carlos Santana and Justin Turner as they search for a veteran bat at first base (and likely another at the hot corner). Bellinger’s contact skills would help Seattle cut down on the team’s longstanding strikeout issues as well.

The bigger issue with regard to Bellinger isn’t so much his overall ability, but rather the magnitude of his contract. He’s owed $52.5MM over the next two season — a guarantee that’s paid out in heavily frontloaded fashion. He’s taking home a $27.5MM salary in 2025 and is owed a $5MM buyout on a $25MM player option for the 2026 season if he opts out of the contract’s final season next winter. For an acquiring team, Bellinger would add $26.25MM to the luxury tax ledger and would cost at least $32.5MM in terms of actual, present-day salary.

For the 2023 version of Bellinger — .307/.356/.525 (136 wRC+), 26 home runs — teams would happily pay that price. Of course, if Bellinger had produced at that same level in 2024, he’d surely have taken the first opt-out opportunity in his contract at the beginning of this offseason. That he chose to forgo his opt-out clause is indicative of the fact that he and agent Scott Boras don’t believe there’s a sizable nine-figure contract waiting for him.

With regard to the Yankees, that luxury number could be problematic. Whether they sign Soto or pursue multiple free agents from the Fried/Burnes/Adames bucket after missing out on him, they’ll surely be a luxury tax payor in at least the third tier of penalty — if not the fourth. Since they’re looking at paying the tax in three straight seasons, that means they’ll either be staring down a 95% tax or 110% tax rate. Bellinger would cost them somewhere between $52-56MM in combined salary and taxes — plus that potential $5MM buyout on the 2026 option. Even for a deep-pocketed club like the Yankees, that’s a staggering price to pay, particularly coming off a good-not-great season for Bellinger.

The Astros, too, have some luxury concerns. RosterResource estimates that they’re just about $7MM shy of the first-tier threshold. They’ve looked into trading Ryan Pressly, but even if Houston were able to unload his full $14MM salary, Bellinger would still thrust them back into luxury territory. The 2024 season was the first in which owner Jim Crane authorized paying the tax. Adding Bellinger would very likely require doing so a second time. Speculatively speaking, a swap of Pressly and Bellinger could make sense for both parties involved, though Pressly can veto any potential deal as a player with 10-and-5 rights.

Luxury considerations don’t apply to the Mariners, but the actual bottom-line cash owed to Bellinger will be an obstacle. Seattle is looking to add two infielders — one at each corner — and ownership doesn’t seem to have an appetite for raising payroll too far beyond last year’s roughly $145MM level. The Mariners already project for a number in a similar range. If they could find a taker for one Mitch Haniger or Mitch Garver, perhaps Bellinger would become more realistic. For now, it seems likely that ever-active president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto is simply doing due diligence, perhaps hoping the Cubs will pay down some of the contract (if not take someone like Garver back as part of the return).

Mariners Have Had Trade Talks Involving Alec Bohm, Nico Hoerner

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The Mariners are known to be looking for infield upgrades this offseason and have been exploring the trade market as part of that pursuit. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that the club has had some trade discussions with the Phillies about Alec Bohm and with the Cubs about Nico Hoerner.

The Seattle infield is likely to be significantly different in 2025 than it was in 2024. Ty France was traded to the Reds last year. Justin Turner became a free agent at season’s end. The Mariners also turned down a club option on Jorge Polanco and non-tendered Josh Rojas. That leaves them J.P. Crawford at short at question marks elsewhere. Recent reporting has suggested they may be comfortable with Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss covering second base until prospect Cole Young is ready, but even in that case, the corners would need to be addressed. Luke Raley is an option at first base but he could also be in the corner outfield mix and would likely need to be platooned anyway, since the lefty swinger is far better against righties.

Despite the need, the M’s were never likely to be huge players in free agency. As shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, Seattle has never given a free agent position player more than the $24MM they gave to Mitch Garver in the era with Jerry Dipoto leading the front office. Furthermore, while the club is planning for a payroll bump relative to last year, it’s expected to be fairly modest. RosterResource projects the club to already have a fairly similar spending outlay next year as they did in 2024, so it doesn’t appear a major splash on someone like Alex Bregman or Willy Adames is likely.

All those factors, as well as Dipoto’s “Trader Jerry” reputation for being aggressive on the trade market, have pointed that to being the likely path forward. As such, the talks about Bohm and Hoerner are fairly logical developments, though a trade actually coming together may not be likely with either.

The Phillies are looking to shake up their roster and Bohm is one of the logical trade candidates they have. Many of their position players are veterans who are fairly cemented in place, either due to their key contributions, their contracts or both. Bohm, on the other hand, is a solid but not elite player who is controlled via the arbitration system through 2026.

Bohm is coming off a 2024 season in which he hit .280/.332/.448 for a wRC+ of 115, his best offensive performance in a full season thus far in his career. However, he did so in lopsided fashion, hitting .295/.348/.482 in the first half for a 128 wRC+ and .251/.299/.382 in the second half for a 90 wRC+. He’s also been a bit better against lefties in his career, which continued in 2024. He hit .287/.335/.473 with the platoon advantage for a 123 wRC+ while slashing .276/.330/.437 against righties for a 111 wRC+.

Defensively, Bohm has been a bit of a mixed bag. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average have both considered him to be subpar at third base in his career but closer to league average this year. He can also play some first base as well, meaning he provides a bit of versatility.

Bohm is undoubtedly a useful player and would surely appeal to the Mariners, given their desire to reduce their strikeout problems. His 17.9% career strikeout rate is a few ticks below average and he’s been ever lower than that in the past three seasons, getting to 14.2% in 2024.

Still, despite Bohm’s utility, it seems the Phils are setting a high asking price for his services. Per Jude’s report, the Phillies asked for either Logan Gilbert or George Kirby in return, which is surely why a deal hasn’t happened yet. Back in September, Dipoto said that dealing from the rotation was “Plan Z” for this winter. And even if Seattle was trying to move a starter, Bohm for Gilbert or Kirby wouldn’t be a good alignment in terms of trade value.

Bohm has two remaining years of arbitration control left and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a salary of $8.1MM. Gilbert is projected for the same salary in 2025 but can be controlled for three more seasons compared to Bohm’s two. Gilbert has also been the far more valuable player in his career, having tossed 704 1/3 innings with a 3.60 earned run average. FanGraphs considers him to have been worth 12.4 wins above replacement over his four big league seasons while putting Bohm at 7.7 fWAR in his five campaigns. Kirby has four seasons of club control remaining and is projected for a modest $5.5MM salary next year. He’s also racked up 11.4 fWAR already in just three seasons by tossing over 500 innings with a 3.43 ERA.

Perhaps Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was just staking out an extreme position for the start of discussions and will bridge the gap later in the offseason, but if that’s any indication of how the Phillies genuinely view Bohm’s value, it may be tough to line up on a deal. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at some of the other potential landing spots for Bohm yesterday.

For the Cubs, Hoerner also makes sense as a trade candidate for a few reasons. That club has a crowded position player mix but there are difficulties in trading many of them. Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ have full no-trade clauses. Cody Bellinger’s opt-out makes it difficult to line up with another club, given the potential downside for the acquiring team. Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong just took steps forward in 2024 and are still affordable and controllable. Isaac Paredes was just acquired from the Rays a few months ago and his trade value likely dropped a bit since he struggled after that swap.

Hoerner, on the other hand, might be more useful to another club. He came up as a shortstop but has been moved to second base in deference to Swanson. The defensive metrics have liked his work at the keystone but some other team might consider him a viable shortstop if given the chance. Offensively, he’s been just a bit above average in his career, hitting .278/.338/.381 for a 102 wRC+. He’s also stolen at least 20 bases in each of the past three years. He will make $11.5MM in 2025 and $12MM in 2026 as part of the extension he signed last year.

Going into the winter, there was an argument for the Cubs to trade Hoerner for pitching, thus opening up second base for a prospect such as Matt Shaw or James Triantos. However, Hoerner underwent flexor tendon surgery in October, which complicates the possibility of a trade coming together somewhat. His recovery timeline is still uncertain, which will make it hard for the Cubs and another club to line up on a valuation.

His primary position being second base is also imperfect, given that the M’s appear to prefer to add at the corners. Hoerner does have some third base experience but just 41 1/3 innings in the majors. He does have a contact-based approach, with a career strikeout rate of just 12%, which would line up well with Seattle’s plans to improve in that department.

Per Jude, the Cubs are seeking “proven major league talent”, but the Mariners seem to be more interested in dealing from their farm system. Jude notes that the club has eight prospect on Baseball America’s Top 100 list (Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes, Young, Jonny Farmelo, Harry Ford, Logan Evans, Michael Arroyo, Felnin Celesten) and could use that stockpile of talent to upgrade the major league roster. Given the club’s aforementioned budgetary constraints, penchant for swinging deals and stated desire to keep their big league rotation intact, trading from that group seems more likely than giving up someone like Gilbert or Kirby.

Though they won’t be huge players in free agency, Jude adds that the club remains in contact with Turner and old friend Carlos Santana, which is a connection that has been made in previous reports. Turner is now 40 and Santana will be 39 in April, so both will be limited to one-year deals with fairly modest salaries.

MLBTR Podcast: Blake Snell, Dodger Fatigue, And The Simmering Hot Stove

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What would the Pirates have to give to the Red Sox to get Triston Casas? (48:20)
  • Why is Cody Bellinger’s deal so tough for the Cubs to trade? (54:15)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Looking For A Match In A Cody Bellinger Trade

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A year and a half ago, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco examined potential trade partners for the Cubs as they reportedly shopped center fielder Cody Bellinger ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. Chicago, of course, played their way back into contention and opted to hold onto Bellinger through the remainder of the year before signing him to a three-year, $80MM deal last winter that afforded Bellinger the opportunity to opt out after either the 2024 or ’25 seasons. With rookies Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch having emerged as the club’s everyday options at center field and first base, however, Bellinger’s fit in Chicago has become much murkier headed into 2025.

That’s led them to once again explore a trade involving the outfielder, but the market for Bellinger’s services figures to be much softer this time around. Bellinger slashed an incredible .317/.367/.545 (144 wRC+) in 324 plate appearances prior to last year’s trade deadline while playing center field on a regular basis for the Cubs, making him the most attractive rental hitter on the market at that time. Flash forward to today, and Bellinger is coming off a much less robust offensive performance: while his strikeout (15.6%) and walk (7.9%) rates remained excellent in 2024, his power dipped substantially and he didn’t enjoy the same luck on balls in play he did the year prior, leaving him with a .266/.325/.426 slash line that was still above average (109 wRC+) but a far cry from the production that earned him down-ballot MVP consideration in his first year as a Cub.

That production, solid as it may be, is not in line with the $27.5MM salary Bellinger is poised to earn in 2025. What’s more, any acquiring club would be on the hook for a $25MM player option for 2026 (or a $5MM buyout should Bellinger test free agency) that only serves to increase the potential financial burden associated with trading for Bellinger. With that being said, the 29-year-old remains an above average hitter who is capable of playing solid defense at all three outfield spots and first base, making him a solid option for teams looking to raise the floor in their lineup. For teams looking for a solution in center, specifically, Bellinger may well prove to be the best option available in a market that is otherwise led by the light-hitting, glove-first Harrison Bader. Even among first baseman, Bellinger looks to be one of the better options available when compared to a free agent class that features aging veterans like Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, and Justin Turner among its best options.

Bellinger’s combination of a quality lefty bat that needn’t be part of a platoon and the ability to play both center field and first base make him a compelling trade target for a surprising number of teams. Of course, his hefty salary will immediately eliminate many clubs from consideration. The Twins, Guardians, Royals, Rays, Padres, and Rockies all seem like long shots to stomach an AAV north of $26MM this year. The White Sox and Marlins are in the midst of lengthy rebuilds and seem unlikely to spend that sort of money on a short-term player like Bellinger, as well. It would be a surprise to see the Cubs deal Bellinger to a division rival while attempting to contend for the postseason, which eliminates the Reds, Brewers, Pirates, and Cardinals from consideration.

Additionally, the Rangers are already loaded with talent both in the outfield and at first base, and the Mariners have signaled they don’t intend to add to their outfield this winter. Meanwhile, the Red Sox, Orioles, and Tigers could pursue help in at least one of Bellinger’s positions but appear more likely to pursue right-handed hitters who can better balance their heavily left-handed lineups. The Dodgers and Mets are decent enough surface level fits, but appear more likely to pursue a more offensively impactful corner bat given their internal options in center field. That still leaves ten teams as plausible fits for a Bellinger trade, though. Let’s take a look at each of them…

Best Fits:

  • Astros: The Astros currently have bigger fish to fry as they attempt to retain franchise third baseman Alex Bregman. With Houston self-admittedly requiring some “creativity” to add salary, it seems likely that a Bregman reunion could leave the club without the funds necessary to deal for Bellinger. With that said, though, Bellinger’s ability to play all three outfield spots and first base should make him an attractive option for Houston that would allow them to play match-ups with Jon Singleton, Jake Meyers, and Chas McCormick by slotting Bellinger in at the position of whichever player is on the bench that day. What’s more, the Cubs’ need for bullpen help this winter and their hesitance to commit to long-term deals for relievers could make veteran reliever Ryan Pressly an attractive target for them in terms of a return while also clearing $14MM off the Astros’ books to facilitate other additions.
  • Blue Jays: The Blue Jays are in the thick of the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and like the other Soto suitors on this list would likely only have interest in Bellinger should they fail to land the offseason’s top free agent. In the event Soto signs elsewhere, however, Toronto may be among the best fits for Bellinger out there. The club has previously expressed interest in Bellinger during both of his recent forays into free agency, and if the Jays fail to land Soto he could make plenty of sense for the club as an upgrade to their current options in left field who wouldn’t require the sort of long-term contract that could complicate the club’s pursuit of a long-term deal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Toronto outfielders posted a lackluster wRC+ of just 87 last year, meaning even Bellinger’s diminished 109 figure from this past season would be a substantial upgrade to say nothing of the impact he could have should his power production bounce back in 2025.
  • Phillies: The Phillies haven’t been shy about their hopes of restructuring their offense this winter, and rumors have already begun to swirl regarding the availability of key members of their offense ranging from Alec Bohm to Nick Castellanos. One clear area where the Phils could stand to upgrade is in the outfield, where the club currently figures to utilize Castellanos, Johan Rojas, and Brandon Marsh on a regular basis. Philadelphia’s 92 wRC+ in the outfield last year was lackluster, however, and each of those aforementioned options posted a wRC+ lower than that of Bellinger last year. By adding Bellinger to the lineup as an everyday player who splits time between left and center field, the Phillies would be able to effectively platoon Marsh and Rojas while still playing both at their respective best positions, while a free agent corner bat such as Jurickson Profar or Tyler O’Neill would require Marsh to play center field on a regular basis.
  • Yankees: The Yankees figure to focus their efforts this winter on reuniting with Soto, but if the club misses out him they’ll have holes to fill both in the outfield and at first base. Signing Bellinger could allow the Yankees to move Aaron Judge back to right field on a regular basis, where he profiles best defensively and where he’ll likely suffer less wear-and-tear throughout the season. While Soto’s departure is surely the most likely avenue to Bellinger in a Yankees uniform, their hole at first base and the possibility that Jasson Dominguez isn’t ready for an everyday job in the majors make the club at least a plausible fit for his services even if they bring Soto back, with Bellinger playing the outfield until Dominguez is ready to take over before shifting to first base. Such a scenario figures to be a long shot, however, given Dominguez’s stature within the organization as a long-time top prospect.

Next Tier Down:

  • Angels: The Angels have been among the more aggressive teams so far this winter as they look to contend following a 99-loss season in 2024. They’ve already added Jorge Soler to the lineup as a regular DH and Travis d’Arnaud as depth behind Logan O’Hoppe at catcher, but the club reportedly remains interested in adding another bat to their lineup. Bellinger is as good a fit for the club’s roster as any outfielder. The team is light on lefty bats, with only Nolan Schanuel at first base and the switch-hitting Luis Rengifo at second projected to be in the club’s starting lineup next year. Bellinger would be a substantial upgrade over the Jo Adell/Mickey Moniak platoon the Halos currently project to use in right field, and could slide seamlessly over to center field to either give Mike Trout a break from the demanding position or cover for him in the event he suffers another injury-plagued season in 2025.
  • Athletics: While the presence of the A’s on this list might strike some as surprising given how they’ve operated in recent years, there’s at least some merit in considering Bellinger’s fit in West Sacramento. All indications have pointed towards the A’s being open to a substantial increase to their payroll this winter and an earnest effort to improve their on-the-field product in the years leading up to their impending move to Las Vegas, but their current stadium situation could make courting free agents difficult due to the club playing in a minor league ballpark for the time being. That’s led GM David Forst to suggest the club is focused on the trade market rather than free agency as they look to upgrade the roster, and Bellinger could be quite a strong fit among trade candidates. He’s unlikely to be especially expensive in terms of trade capital, meaning that swinging a deal for him wouldn’t do much damage to the club’s long-term competitiveness, and the former MVP could offer a level of star power the club currently lacks. Meanwhile, he’d be a major upgrade on the field for a club that’s relying on Seth Brown and his 91 wRC+ last year in left field headed into 2025.
  • Diamondbacks: The Diamondbacks figure to have plenty of room to add a player like Bellinger to their positional mix after losing Christian Walker and Joc Pederson to free agency this winter. While the club’s lineup leans left-handed, the loss of Pederson could make them more open to the addition of another lefty bat than other heavily-lefty clubs like the Red Sox and Orioles. The addition of Bellinger could also make it easier for the club to stomach the loss of one of their many young outfielders via trade, particularly as he shares an ability to play center with trade candidates Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas. While Bellinger’s salary could be a problem for the Diamondbacks in theory, it’s much easier to imagine them stomaching his contract if they’re able to move the salary of southpaw Jordan Montgomery this winter, as the club is seemingly quite motivated to do after negative comments from club owner Ken Kendrick about the lefty’s disastrous 2024 season.

Longer Shots:

  • Braves: It would be something of a surprise to see the Braves swing a trade for Bellinger despite the hole in their lineup in left field. The club has been aggressive in making moves to clear payroll room as they stare down the possibility of losing Max Fried from their rotation, and while it’s easy to imagine them dedicating those resources to a splash at shortstop for a player like Willy Adames, using that financial capital to acquire Bellinger would be a surprise given the availability of more affordable depth options in the outfield such as Austin Hays and Mike Tauchman who could join Jarred Kelenic in the mix for starts in left field without breaking the bank. With that being said, the Braves have shown a willingness to add significant salary on short-term arrangements with players like Marcell Ozuna and Josh Donaldson in the past, and it’s difficult to count out a GM as unpredictable as Alex Anthopoulos for most trade scenarios.
  • Giants: The Giants have long been in search of star power for their lineup, and while Bellinger does not carry the same level of impact as he did during his MVP days with their arch-rival Dodgers, he would still add an everyday player with significant name recognition to a relatively non-descript San Francisco lineup. Aside from that surface level fit, however, the Giants lost Michael Conforto to free agency earlier this winter and fellow outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is viewed as a trade candidate. Adding Bellinger, then, could offer the club an alternative to Conforto and Yaz in the outfield to pair with Jung Hoo Lee and the club’s crop of young outfielders. With that being said, a fit with the Giants appears unlikely given the fact that the club is currently expected to scale back its payroll this year, a goal with which adding Bellinger’s hefty salary would be misaligned.
  • Nationals: Given the Nationals’ many quality young outfielders, they aren’t necessarily the most straightforward landing spot for Bellinger. With that being said, however, the club has a massive hole at first base that Bellinger could slide into quite easily, providing a boost to a lineup that appears to be on the cusp of contention. Bellinger would also be able to take some pressure off of the club’s crop of young outfielders, offering an alternative to Jacob Young in center against tough right-handers and providing a back-up option in the corners should either James Wood or Dylan Crews struggle at some point in their first wire-to-wire big league campaigns.

Cubs Promote Casey Jacobson To Assistant Pitching Coach

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  • The Cubs have yet to announce their finalized coaching staff for the 2025 season, but Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported earlier this week that at least one more vacancy has been filled. After assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos departed the organization to become the Marlins’ pitching coach, the club is promoting internally to replace Moskos by hiring Casey Jacobson. Jacobson has been in the Cubs organization since October 2019 and has spent the past two years as the senior coordinator of pitching development for the club in the minor leagues. Now, he’ll get the opportunity to work on a big league coaching staff for the first time in his career with a number of young arms such as Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and Porter Hodge expected to play roles for Chicago next year.

Cubs To Sign Brooks Kriske

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Right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske has agreed to a contract with the Cubs, the 30-year-old announced himself on his Instagram and X accounts. It is presumably a minor league deal, although the team has not yet confirmed the move and further details have not been revealed.

After growing up a Cubs fan, Kriske was selected by the Yankees in the 2016 draft. Although he was never a top prospect, the righty made an impressive comeback from early-career Tommy John surgery and quickly rose through the ranks of the minor leagues. In August 2018, he was still pitching at Low-A after losing so much development time to injury. Yet, by July 2020, he was pitching for the big league club. Heading into the 2021 season, he earned a spot on the Yankees prospect lists at both FanGraphs (no. 34) and Baseball America (no. 28).

Unfortunately, the big leagues have never been kind to Kriske. Over parts of two seasons in the Bronx, he gave up 20 runs (19 earned) in 11 1/3 innings, good for a 15.09 ERA. He allowed six home runs and walked more than 20% of the batters he faced. He also threw seven wild pitches – four of which came in the same inning. Following a particularly poor outing in September 2021, Kriske was optioned to Triple-A and designated for assignment a few days later.

The Orioles must have liked what they saw when Kriske held them scoreless and hitless across two appearances in 2020, striking out four of the eight batters he faced. They scooped him up off of waivers, and he pitched in four more games down the stretch. Yet, his results weren’t much better than they were in New York. While Kriske didn’t walk any batters, he gave up five runs on two homers in 3 1/3 innings of work. By the end of the 2021 campaign, he had a career 14.40 ERA, 5.11 SIERA, and -0.8 FanGraphs WAR.

Baltimore released Kriske that fall, allowing him to sign with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of NPB. A relatively successful season in Japan (21 IP, 2.57 ERA, 11.1 K/9) earned him a minor league deal with the Royals in December 2022. However, Kriske struggled upon his return to affiliated ball. He pitched to a 5.52 ERA and 4.29 FIP over 29 1/3 innings at Triple-A Omaha. His 4.05 ERA over 6 2/3 MLB innings represented an improvement, but his 16% walk rate and 5.30 SIERA showed a pitcher who was still struggling to retire major league batters. Partway through the 2023 season, he was granted his release to pursue another opportunity in Japan, this time with the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Once again, Kriske looked much sharper overseas, putting up a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings with the Lions over the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He decided to come back stateside last winter, inking a minor league pact with the Reds. However, despite a strong performance in spring training (6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 8 K, 1 BB) and solid numbers at Triple-A Louisville (49 1/3 IP, 3.10 ERA, 36.7 K%, 4.06 FIP), he never got the chance to pitch for Cincinnati at the big league level. The Reds selected him to their 40-man roster in June (presumably to prevent him from exercising an opt-out clause in his contract) but never actually called him up. They DFA’d him two months later.

For the second time in three years, the Orioles claimed Kriske off of waivers, and he finished out the 2024 campaign in the O’s organization. Across eight appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he pitched to a 5.00 ERA and 6.79 FIP in nine innings of work. He elected free agency at the end of the season.

Although he struggled late in the year with the Norfolk Tides, Kriske still finished his age-30 season with respectable Triple-A numbers: a 3.39 ERA and 4.48 FIP over 58 1/3 innings. He struck out 34.2% of his opponents. Free passes continue to be a problem for the righty – he walked 14.8% of hitters this past season – but a high walk rate is tolerable as long as he can maintain such a high strikeout rate and keep home runs at a manageable level. He’ll provide depth for the Cubs in the minor leagues, and the fewer batters he walks, the better his chances of getting back to the big leagues in 2025.

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