Nico Hoerner trade rumors just won't go away thanks to obsessed AL East contender

The long-shot idea of the Chicago Cubs trading Nico Hoerner doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. Dating back to last offseason, there have been whispers that the Cubs could entertain the idea of trading Hoerner, and since the Winter Meetings this offseason, it's been in the background of the potential moves made by the front office.

The Cubs have been linked to Bo Bichette in recent days, and it would seem that the interest would only be tied to a potential trade of Hoerner. Hoerner is a free agent next offseason, and taking emotions out of the decision, there certainly could be a scenario where the front office moves the Gold Glove infielder (presumably for cost-controlled pitching) and then signs one of Bichette or Alex Bregman to replace him in the starting lineup.

A debate could be had on whether such a scenario actually makes the Cubs better in 2026, but it's clearly a scenario that has been considered by the front office. As such, there continue to be teams emerging with potential interest.

It's believed that the San Francisco Giants were one of the teams that had already expressed interest in Hoerner this offseason, and former MLB general manager Jim Bowden has added a new team to the mix. Speaking on MLB Radio, Bowden mentioned that the Yankees are also interested in the Cubs' second baseman.

The Cubs shouldn't trade Nico Hoerner, but they certainly shouldn't trade him to the New York Yankees.

To be clear, the Cubs should be hesitant to trade Hoerner. Beyond his work in the field, Hoerner has ascended to being a leader in the team's clubhouse. The optics of the Cubs trading Hoerner after a season where they were one game away from reaching the NLCS simply wouldn't look good.

But, for argument's sake, if a Hoerner trade is possible, trading him to the Yankees may not help the Cubs' cause. The Cubs and Yankees don't match up for a trade on the Major League level, and with New York looking to add a cost-controlled starting pitcher, they likely would cap their prospect offer to the Cubs for Hoerner. If that's the case, there would be very little reason for the Cubs to follow through with moving Hoerner to New York.

Nonetheless, until there is finality to the Cubs' offseason, Hoerner rumors will continue to surface.