I don’t even know what to think anymore. I’m hoping that this is simply the San Francisco Giants putting pressure on the St. Louis Cardinals to get a deal done for Brendan Donovan because according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan the Giants are also engaged in talks with the Chicago Cubs for Nico Hoerner.
The way Passan paints the picture really makes it seem like a trade is close. But again, I’m holding out hope that this is a negotiating tactic by the Giants, who could be trying to get Donovan for a lessor cost and now can use the Cubs and Hoerner as leverage.
Or San Francisco really wants Nico Hoerner.
Earlier this week The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma reported that there were no indications that the Cubs are actively trying to trade Hoerner after the team signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. That acquisition quickly sparked speculation whether or not the Cubs would then move Matt Shaw to second base in 2026, and trade Hoerner, who is a free agent following the season.
Yet, Sharma said that while the Cubs are listening to calls from teams interested in Hoerner, the only way they would actually trade him right now is if an offer blew them away. There’s just no way the Cubs trade Hoerner for prospects at this stage. It defeats the purpose of finally being aggressive in free agency, signing Bregman, trading for Edward Cabrera, spending on the bullpen and now you trade away one of your best players?
Make it make sense. Trading away Hoerner would erase the progress made when signing Bregman. This would be an awful move by Jed Hoyer.
Legitimately making me angry writing about this possibility. Again, fingers crossed that this is purely a leverage play from the Giants. The Cubs would be worse off without Hoerner and I don’t see how the Giants can offer something that would blow them away. Logan Webb? Doubt it.
