CHICAGO -- When the Cubs tried to land Alex Bregman in free agency a year ago, there was a clear vacancy at third base. Matt Shaw had no plate appearances in the big leagues at the time, making a star like Bregman an obvious fit.
One year later, the infield landscape has changed for the Cubs, but that did not alter Chicago’s continued interest in Bregman after he again hit the open market.
“Literally the first second that free agency really opened,” Bregman said, “we knew that the Cubs wanted our family to be here and we were excited about it.”
The Cubs chased Bregman in free agency again this winter and signed him to a five-year, $175 million contract that became official on Wednesday, followed by Thursday’s introductory press conference at Wrigley Field. The question that lingers now in the wake of the signing is whether Bregman’s arrival makes second baseman Nico Hoerner or Shaw a potential trade chip.
As things stand right now, the Cubs’ infield includes Michael Busch at first, Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop and Bregman at third. Shaw can slide into a super utility role, or the 24-year-old could move to second, if Hoyer finds a potential trade partner to pry Hoerner away from the Cubs.
Hoyer acknowledged that he has fielded calls about different trade scenarios.
“There’s always calls coming in,” Hoyer said on Thursday. “It’s our job to listen to things. That’s always our job. It’s always our job to seek to make the team better. It doesn’t mean we’re looking to do something. But of course, people are going to call and the job is to listen.”
Why would the Cubs consider trading Hoerner?
The Bregman deal -- even with $70 million in deferments -- pushes Chicago’s payroll close to the first Competitive Balance Tax threshold ($244 million). With the veteran Hoerner set for free agency after ‘26, moving his $12 million salary for this season would create some more monetary wiggle room under that line.
All of that said, the 28-year-old Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glover who competed for the National League batting crown last season and boasts one of baseball’s elite contact rates. He was a first-round pick by the Cubs in ‘18, signed a three-year extension in ‘23 and has grown into a leader behind the scenes both in work ethic and voice.
“So many of the things I’ve said about Alex, I would say about Nico,” Hoyer said. “Great person. Great player. Leads by example. He’s a guy that we drafted, we developed, we extended and I think the world of Nico.”
Asked again later about the possibility of Hoerner being a trade candidate, Hoyer limited his response to further praise for the second baseman.
“He’s a huge part of our team,” Hoyer said. “He does so many things on the field exceptionally well, so I’m glad he’s a Cub.”
Bregman noted that he has already exchanged texts with Hoerner and was looking forward to seeing him at Cubs Convention this weekend.
“I’ve heard he’s amazing,” Bregman said. “All the guys love him. Student of the game. Plays hard. Shows up ready to play every single day. A guy that wants to win really badly. I’m looking forward to being his teammate.”
If the Cubs are not blown away by any trade offers, there is still a way to proceed with the group as currently constituted.
As a rookie last season, Shaw went through early growing pains, but made the most of a return trip to Triple-A Iowa and then enjoyed a strong second half. While Shaw more than looked the part at third base, Hoyer did not rule out having him offer the Cubs cover at multiple positions.
“We have guys that can play different positions really well,” Hoyer said. “We’re going to be celebrating [the World Series team from] 2016 this weekend. And Kris Bryant played a lot of third and a lot of left field that year. Javy Baez played everywhere. You didn’t have one set position for those guys. You could move really good players around.
“And you’re not going to have perfect health throughout the year. You're going to need days off. And there’s a lot of at-bats out there if you can move around and play different positions.”
Hoyer was asked if Shaw might even be considered as an option in the outfield.
“Absolutely,” Hoyer said. “Matt Shaw’s a really good athlete. He hadn’t played much third and was a Gold Glove finalist last year. I have no questions about his defense at any position or his ability to learn. To me, that’s just not even a concern.”