The Chicago Cubs 2nd basemen Nico Hoerner’s name has once again been thrown out in trade discussions, this time involving the Seattle Mariners.
In a report written by the Seattle Times Adam Jude, the Chicago Cubs have had “preliminary talks” with the Seattle Mariners involving a trade which would send INF Nico Hoerner to the Mariners. He writes:
“The Mariners have also had preliminary talks with the Chicago Cubs about second baseman Nico Hoerner, a Gold Glove winner who offers positional versatility. The Cubs are seeking proven major league talent in talks for Hoerner, a source said.”
Hoerner, who had surgery this off season to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm and will most likely miss the first few weeks to month of the season, has once again seen his name brought up in trade negotiations. Earlier this off season Hoerner and fellow Chicago Cub 1st basemen/OF Cody Bellinger were both linked in a trade proposal which sent them over to the New York Yankees. Now that the winter meetings are only a week away, a real clear path for these trades to happen are likely.
It’s no secret that the Seattle Mariners have one of if not the best pitching staffs in all of baseball. However, they don’t have as near as great an offense to pair with it to make them one of the top teams in the AL. Pair that with their unwillingness to spend money and you just have a mid-level team. So that’s why it’s so important for the Cubs to strike now while the irons hot and snag one of the Mariners star pitchers that they have in their rotation to help bolster theirs.
With Hoerner starting the season on the shelf the Cubs are going to have to turn to their farm to help them fill that gap since it seems like they want to target pitching and catching mostly in free agency. So, it’s going to be up to guys like #1 prospect Matt Shaw or #5 prospect James Triantos to step and fill Hoerner’s shoes at 2nd.
When looking at the Mariners there’s only one guy the Chicago Cubs should target and that’s RHP Logan Gilbert. In Jude’s article he wrote that “The Cubs are seeking proven major league talent in talks for Hoerner, a source said.” and that perfectly fits the description of one such as Logan Gilbert.
Gilbert, who is still just 27, is poised to break out in 2025 and eventually become what all scouts thought he could be and that’s an “Ace” which the Cubs need. For his career Gilbert has a record of 41-31 with an ERA of 3.60 in 704.1 innings pitched. In 2024 Gilbert lead all the MLB in innings pitched (208.2) and WHIP (0.887) as well as being named an All-Star and finishing 6th in the Cy Young voting. Having a pitcher like Gilbert with “Ace” like qualities at the top of the staff paired with Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon the Cubs would immediately have one of the better staffs in the NL.
What would it take?
So obviously a 1-for-1 swap for Hoerner and Gilbert is out of the question. Hoerner who is making $23.5M the next two years while Gilbert is only in his first year of arbitration and is only set to make $8.3M according to Spotrac. However, the Mariners need more offense, in particular pop. Hoerner would be an upgrade at 2nd base for the Mariners being that as its set Dylan Moore is slated to be their everyday guy there come opening day.
The Deal
The Seattle Mariners receive: INF Nico Hoerner, 1st baseman/OF Cody Bellinger, OF Owen Caissie (Cubs #2 prospect, MLB #34), and $10M to pay down Bellinger’s contract
The Chicago Cubs receive: RHP Logan Gilber and RHP Andrés Muñoz (CL)
This trade has all the makings of a win-win type of trade for both teams. The Mariners get the much-needed offensive help they’ve been desiring, while the Cubs get what potentially could be their “Ace” as well as a lockdown closer for the bullpen. The Chicago Cubs also get off the Cody Bellinger contract which they have been desperate to do since signing the deal.
Yes, they have to eat $10M to pay it down but throwing in Owen Caissie in the deal as well in my opinion makes the Mariners more likely to pursue this deal. Bellinger would also fill the void over at 1st base for the Mariners and who would be an improvement both offensively and defensively over Justin Turner who played 31 games for the M’s there last season.
With the GM Meetings already passed us where the foundations for trades are laid, the next big date on the MLB calendar are the Winter Meetings which are set to start on December 8th. These “preliminary talks” could potentially become real tangible trades once the Winter Meetings begin. We could potentially see Nico Hoerner be on the move and possibly be in a different uniform come next season. As well as potentially a few other Cubs as well.
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