Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick (10) reaches on a fielding error by Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) and Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) scores during the first inning of their National League Division Series game on Saturday October 4, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Chicago Cubs reportedly fielding calls on former Gold Glove infielder

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Vincent Pensabene | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 11:19 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs are in a position where they are searching for ways to improve their roster for the 2026 season. While the free agent market has not been able to land them a big fish so far, they could look to the trade market to do so. One Cubs player is reportedly getting calls about a potential trade, so let’s take a closer look at who it is and what that means for the team going forward in the offseason.

The Chicago Cubs are reportedly fielding calls on Nico Hoerner

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman has reported that the Cubs are fielding trade calls around second baseman Nico Hoerner. This does not mean that the team is officially shopping him around, but that they are open to a move at the right price. The 28-year-old second baseman is in the final year of a three-year, $35 million contract, so it would not be a massive salary to trade away. Hoerner won the 2025 NL Gold Glove at second base while also posting a .297/.345/.394 slash line with seven home runs, 61 RBI, 89 runs and 29 stolen bases over 156 games.

Chicago fielding calls on Hoerner could mean they are interested in adding a middle infielder, like Bo Bichette, as a free agent. The front office could land a starting pitcher in a possible Hoerner trade, as they have been unable to sign a massive free agent as the calendar flips to 2026. Chicago continues to look for ways to improve and moving Hoerner for an impactful player with more offense or a middle-of-the-rotation starting pitcher feels like an upgrade.

Will the Cubbies be able to trade away Hoerner and get some valuable assets in return for the 2026 season? Will they decide to keep him heading into spring training? President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the front office have some tough decisions to make.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: