The San Francisco Giants are “aggressively pursuing” second basemen, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, and have reached out to the Chicago Cubs about the availability of All-Star Nico Hoerner. Entering the final year of his contract, Hoerner’s name has popped up in the rumor mill quite frequently after the Alex Bregman signing left the Cubs with too many infielders to fit in one lineup.
Hoerner, 28, put together his best season yet in 2025, hitting .297 with a .739 OPS and 114 OPS+. He only hit seven home runs, but reached base consistently and stolen 29 bags, all while earning his second Gold Glove award. He’s a master of the little things and an incredibly valuable player, despite his somewhat outmoded skill set. San Francisco would do very well to add him to the mix alongside Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers in the infield, turning a black hole at second base into one of the best infields in the sport.
What would a Nico Hoerner-Giants trade look like?
The Cubs have a bit of leverage here in that trading Hoerner is not a requirement. He can pick up and leave in a year, yes, but Hoerner is extremely valuable and the Bregman signing suggests a desire to compete next season. Trading Hoerner, on the surface, does not match that focus. Chicago probably wants to carve out everyday reps for former top prospect Matt Shaw if possible, but trading Hoerner just to save cash and recoup prospects — on this current competitive timeline — does not really align with Chicago’s goals.
There is also the potential for a bidding war, with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and other contenders sure to take an interest in Hoerner’s services. While the trendy focus for MLB front offices nowadays is slug rate and exit velocity, Hoerner’s incredible blend of plate discipline and speed made him one of Chicago’s most valuable hitters last season, even if he’s not driving many over the fence.
Hoerner’s defense is a premium trait, too. The Giants could really use a top-notch second baseman next to Devers, a far weaker defender, at first. Hoerner, Adames and Chapman are three of the best infield gloves in baseball, period. That gives San Francisco a truly elite setup on the dirt, and gives them an avenue to win games when the bats aren’t sizzling.
Why the Cubs do this trade
The only real motivation for this trade from Chicago’s standpoint — besides balancing the books and pinching pennies, which hopefully isn’t Jed Hoyer’s top priority right now — would be to clear the pathway for Shaw and Bregman to both start full-time. Shaw struggled for much of his rookie season, but came on strong in the final months and finished the campaign around league average as a hitter (.690 OPS and 98 OPS+). He's a talented athlete, and while his learning curve at third base was steep, he should tap into more consistent, positive defensive value at second, which is a less demanding position. Bregman, of course, maintains excellent metrics at the hot corner.
This trade sets the table for Shaw to start regularly at the keystone, with newcomer Casey Schmitt filling in as the backup, with occasional utility at third base or shortstop as needed. Schmitt, 26, put up solid numbers last season, with a .706 OPS and 101 OPS+. Shaw rips lefties (.808 OPS vs. southpaws in 2025), while Schmitt has backward splits (he was best against right-handed pitchers, with a .768 OPS in those matchups). So there’s the potential for an unconventional platoon if Shaw does not take the year-two leap Chicago is hoping for. Schmitt is far less accomplished defensively compared to Hoerner, but he does provide a bit more pop at the plate. He hit 12 home runs in 312 at-bats in his third MLB season.
(Control is a major factor, too, with Schmitt still locked up on cheap arbitration rates through 2029.)
To push this deal over the top, the Cubs take a couple fliers on promising young pitchers. Hayden Birdsong, 24, has struggled to establish himself in his first couple MLB seasons. He started 10 games in 2025 before San Francisco demoted him to a bullpen gig. Still, he puts some juice on his fastball and has encouraging whiff rates. There’s a potential for him to develop into a back-end starter, with a floor as a middle relief-swingman type.
Carson Whisenhunt, the Giants’ No. 7 prospect, is the more intriguing bet. He didn’t do much in his brief MLB cameo last season, but the 25-year-old lefty offers up one of the best changeups in the game. If he can start to command his other pitches more effectively, there’s a world in which Whisenhunt becomes a genuine No. 3 starter type for the Cubs within a couple years. If not, that nasty changeup alone should allow him to blossom as a reliever.
So, Chicago addresses pipeline concerns on the mound and replaces Hoerner with an MLB-level infielder, one who can fill in gaps behind Shaw, Bregman and this new-look Cubs infield. That should be enough to pique Chicago’s interest, especially if the Cubs are out on the idea of paying Hoerner significant long-term money next winter.