Trading Nico Hoerner, even to open a spot for Matt Shaw, comes with a lot of risk

This might be the most interesting offseason the Chicago Cubs have faced in years. With a roster that's locked in long-term at multiple positions, Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins will have to turn over a new leaf in terms of creativity. With eight top 100 prospects - seven of which are knocking on the door at Triple-A Iowa - the front office has to walk a fine line between creating room for these players and contending in 2025.

That could mean trading from this prospect pool or, potentially, moving some MLB talent in deals. A name that keeps coming up time and time again is Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner, who, last year, signed a contract extension with the Cubs that runs through 2026.

My colleague Jordan Campbell touched on this possibility earlier this week, digging in on the potential scenarios - one of which centers around creating everyday at-bats for top prospect Matt Shaw. I think there's a way to do that without handing him the second base job out of camp, but I can see why Hoerner's name keeps floating around given the team's roster situation.

Cubs fans seem split on the idea: half believe Hoerner is the answer at second base, and the other half seem unimpressed with the former first-rounder and are more than ready to trade him if it means adding more impact talent to this team heading into 2025.

Cubs' Nico Hoerner could wind up an unfortunate victim of circumstance

I fall somewhere in between. I think, given the back-to-back 83-win records over the last two years, Hoyer can ill afford to leave any stone unturned this winter. But I don't think fans should take what Hoerner does for granted: he's an elite bat-to-ball hitter who plays some of the best defense in the league at second base.

Sure, Shaw's offensive profile projects to have more hard contact and power than we get in Hoerner. But let's be clear about what Hoerner has already proven to be: a guy who ranked in the 99th percentile in K-rate and whiff rate, 91st in xBA and 95th in OAA this season. He might not be flashy, but he adds a ton of value to this Cubs team.

Hoerner was the Cubs' second-most valuable player this season according to fWAR, trailing only his double-play partner up the middle, Dansby Swanson. He set a career-high with 35 doubles and swiped 31 bags while grading out as the second-best defensive second baseman in the National League. Prospects are sexy, sure, but don't overlook what someone like Hoerner already brings to the table.