The Chicago Cubs are still deep in the process of building a team that will not only win this year, but one which will be winners for years to come.
In doing so, they’ve acquired talent like Kyle Tucker, Matthew Boyd, Eli Morgan, and Caleb Thielbar via trade or free agency. They’ve also dumped talent, like Cody Bellinger, for what they hope to be the long-term benefit of the team.
So, obviously, the door is never shut on a deal to make the team better.
Nico Hoerner, Available For Trade?
Second baseman Nico Noerner has come up in several trade proposals this offseason and has even, reportedly, been shopped around by the team in the pursuit of assets, mostly pitchers.
The Trade Proposal
But John Perrotto of Draft Nation has proposed a trade where Nico Hoerner could be trade bait for not only an all-star, but also a quality young reliever and a couple of prospects.
Per Perrotto:
“How about if Cubs trade middle infielder Nico Hoerner to the Padres for infielder Luis Arraez, right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada and two Class A prospects – left-hander Kash Mayfield and shortstop Cobb Hightower?
The three-time batting champion Arraez could fill the hole for the Cubs vacated by Hoerner at second base. It would allow the Padres to shed his $14-million salary in order free money for the two years and $23.5 million left on Hoerner’s contract.”
The first thing that stands out in this proposal is that it’s a four-for-one trade, where a three-time all-star and three-time batting champion is part of the four-man package. That does seem a bit odd, especially considering that Arraez’s raw offensive numbers, as a .323 lifetime hitter, are better than Hoerner’s.
But Hoerner’s value is above and beyond just batting average.
A case could be made that the 27-year-old Hoerner, who underwent flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm this past October, is underappreciated and underrated. He is a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman who can also play an above average shortstop. He is consistently one of the league’s best contact hitters and has shown himself to be a steady presence on the field. He’s also a legitimate base stealing threat.
Hoerner also comes about $3 million cheaper than Arraez and is under one more year of team control, not eligible for free agency until the end of the 2026 season whereas Arraez will hit the open market at the end of the 2025 campaign.
Why Make The Trade?
For the Padres, shedding some salary and having at least two years of Hoerner could be the draw.
For the Cubs, adding Arraez’s bat to their lineup, perhaps right in front of new Cub Kyle Tucker, would be attractive. There’s also the bullpen arm and the prospects to consider.
The Cubs would have to find a place to play Arraez, defensively, though. He’s not a glove guy by any stretch of the imagination and would probably be a liability at second base. He could also play first base, but is not better than Michael Busch at the position. Most likely, they’d have to find room for him at DH, something which would mean finding something to do with current DH Seiya Suzuki.
Most likely, though, this deal would never get made. There are positives for both teams, but the deal would seem to open up just as many question marks.
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