On the surface, it sure looked like the Chicago Cubs’ odds of trading either Nico Hoerner or Matt Shaw went down on Monday.
Both players’ names had been swirling around the trade rumor mill since Chicago signed three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman in mid-January. And the team Bregman came from, the Boston Red Sox, was clearly one infielder short, which led to the two teams constantly being linked in both confirmed reports of trade talks and rampant speculation.
However, on Monday, the Red Sox plugged their infield hole by trading for Caleb Durbin from the Cubs’ division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. In doing so, they effectively took themselves out of the running for any additional trades involving high-profile infielders before the regular season begins.
Despite that obvious change in the market, Joel Sherman of the New York Post dropped a new report on Tuesday that asserted Chicago’s competitors still viewed both Shaw and Hoerner as potentially available, though there’s no clear indication at this stage of which teams would be the likeliest suitors.
“The Cubs have a similar situation with Matt Shaw that the Mets do with Brett Baty,” Sherman wrote. “Both showed enough intriguing stuff last year that you want to see more. But the Cubs, in signing Alex Bregman to play third base, and the Mets, in signing Bo Bichette to play third, took the obvious jobs from the two inexperienced players.
“Second baseman Nico Hoerner is a free agent after this season, and the Cubs believe Shaw can handle that position. For now, Hoerner or Shaw continue to be viewed in the game as potential trade chips should the Cubs want to augment elsewhere.”
It has seemed all along as though the Cubs would need to be blown away to trade either infielder. Hoerner had over six wins above replacement last season, so even though he’ll be a free agent next offseason, he’s essential to the objective of winning now. Shaw improved as his rookie season went along, and the Cubs believe he can handle the outfield, which would enable them to put Seiya Suzuki back at designated hitter on occasion.
If the Red Sox believed the asking price was too high, it’s hard to see another team with the desperation required to pull off a major trade with the Cubs this late in the offseason. But the situation should still be monitored for now.
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