Latest Nico Hoerner trade rumor confirms creative Mariners' 3-way deal scenario

The Chicago Cubs appear to be at the center of most of the trade talk taking place at the Winter Meeting this week in Dallas.

While the Cubs remain among the teams mentioned in the trade talks involving Garrett Crochet, they have also been heavily linked to the Seattle Mariners over the last week.

Each offseason, it seems as if there is a team that the Cubs pair well with regarding a potential trade but in recent winters, a deal has never crossed the finish line. Last offseason, the Cubs seemed to be talking trade with the Cleveland Guardians for most of the offseason before the two teams eventually moved in different directions.

That doesn't appear to be the endgame for the Cubs and Mariners this offseason.

Providing an update on the Mariners' activity from Day 1 of the Winter Meetings, Adam Jude and Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times refer to the Cubs and Seattle as a "natural fit" in terms of trade partners. They label Nico Hoerner as the "most likely" trade target for the Mariners adding that Seattle may find creative ways to get a deal done, including the addition of a third team in trade talks.

Over the weekend, there were unfounded rumors that the Cubs, Mariners, and White Sox explored a three-way trade that would have seen Hoerner land with the Mariners, Crochet land with the Cubs, and prospects for the White Sox. The report from The Seattle Times would seem to add some degree of credibility to those rumors.

It's become clear that the trade market is where the Cubs are living this offseason. There is some risk involved with that approach as Jed Hoyer has been protective of both his Major League core players and prospects in the past. While Hoyer, and manager Craig Counsell, seem to be alluding to an impact trade being in the works, until the finish line is reached, there will be skepticism when talking about the Cubs' offseason approach.