Cubs Reportedly In Talks (Maybe) With Mariners To Trade Nico Hoerner
Let’s be upfront: this is the time of year when rumors are very squishy, sometimes intentionally. With a month remaining until the deadline, teams are neither confident in their needs nor are they willing to openly discuss which players they’re pursuing.
Jon Morosi, recently appearing on MLB Network, spoke about the Cubs and their likelihood of selling. He specifically mentioned middle infielder Nico Hoerner. From the clip – which isn’t yet posted online – it’s unclear whether Morosi is reporting that he specifically knows the Cubs are already in discussion with Seattle for Hoerner’s services or that he suspects it is the case.
Hoerner is a very good option for Seattle. He’s signed through the 2026 season at a reasonable cost ($12 million that season) and fills a need for the Mariners, who are 26th in baseball in OPS. Hoerner’s 94 OPS+ doesn’t jump off the page but Seattle could certainly find a utility role for him, shuffling him between Jorge Polanco at second base and JP Crawford at short.