Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) prior to the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Nico Hoerner Responds To Cubs Trade Rumors With Surprising Honesty

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 9:59 PM ET

One of the more surprising aspects of the Chicago Cubs' offseason is that beloved second baseman Nico Hoerner's name has come up in trade discussions.

This started with little more than idle chatter about that trading Hoerner would make sense from a personnel perspective, given that he's going to be an unrestricted free agent next winter if he doesn't re-sign with Chicago, Matt Shaw could move to second base, and the club then could pursue an elite infielder like Alex Bregman.

While this sentiment made sense, it still seemed highly unlikely that Hoerner was leaving Chicago. Not only is he a key pillar in the team's clubhouse, but Hoerner also just won his second NL Gold Glove Award and hit .297 last season. Impending free agency or not, those aren't the sort of players a winning franchise trades away.

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

However, things took a turn when Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle reported on December 17 that the San Francisco Giants had "checked in" with the Cubs about a potential deal for Hoerner.

This report was significant for two reasons. One is that a team checking in shows that Hoerner's name is being bandied about, even if it's only by opposing clubs. But perhaps more interesting is that it's the San Francisco Bay Area, where Hoerner was born and raised. That adds an intriguing layer to a potential deal.

Nico Hoerner addresses Cubs trade rumors with joke

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Horner was the guest on a December 29 episode of 670 The Score. When Hoerner was asked whether he reads any of the trade rumor chatter online, he said, "Yeah. I see most stuff. I mean, things are inevitably sent to me, especially when it's, like, connected to the Giants. People here, obviously, get excited about things like that," per an X post from 670 The Score.

"It's hard to explain to people that things can be, 'Yes, that's not false reporting. But that also doesn't really mean anything.' It's like hard to navigate that space, I think," Hoerner continued. "But yeah, I see stuff."

When the show's hosts told Hoerner that they don't want a trade to happen, he responded by saying, "No matter the haul? That's really nice. There are some good players out there! There are some good players out there."

Nico Hoerner was kind enough to pause mid-workout to chat with @SpiegsAndHolmes.

He comments on his name landing in trade rumors and listens as the guys inform him that they'll be some combination of sad and angry if he ever gets dealt — "no matter the haul." pic.twitter.com/GJd1M1fJQX
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) December 29, 2025