The Chicago Cubs’ series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers is all but confirmed that the Cubs will sell off pieces at this upcoming trade deadline. Jed Hoyer came out early last week saying that unless the team went on a winning streak, the team would likely focus on obtaining pieces that could help them in the future.
We have seen many different Cubs players come about in trade rumors throughout the last week. Jameson Taillon, Mark Leiter Jr., and Hector Neris have been the most mentioned, just to name a few. We have not seen any trade rumors regarding any Cubs position players until today. MLB insider dropped a few potential Cubs players available at this year’s deadline, along with a team that could be targeting them.
In the tweet, he talks about how the Yankees desperately seek a lead-off hitter and mentions Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman. We did hear some rumors about interest from the Mariners in Hoerner last month, but it has been pretty radio-silent since then. While this tweet doesn’t necessarily mention the Yankees have an interest or have had discussions with the Cubs about these players, I still think it could be something of note. These insiders talk, and whether Morosi has even heard a peep about the potential availability of these two players, it was worth noting with the Yankee attachment.
What would the Cubs be acquiring if a deal like this were to come to fruition? For Tauchman, it wouldn’t be much more than deals we have seen for utility players who don’t necessarily need to play every day on contending teams. On the other hand, Hoerner might be able to get you a pretty solid package. While Hoerner hasn’t had his best season, he is stilling giving you gold glove defense at either spot in the middle infield, and his bat has indeed been returning to form as of late. I could see Hoerner being able to get one or even two of an organization’s top 10 prospects, especially with the fact that he still has a year of control.
Now does a deal like this make sense for the Cubs? On the Tauchman front, yes. If you can get value for Tauchman, the Cubs should likely be all over it. Tauchman makes sense for a Cubs team trying to contend, as he is the perfect utility player who can flip and flop out of the starting lineup. For a second-half Cubs team trying to make improvements for 2025, there are just too many young outfielders that the Cubs need to try, and Tauchman is currently log jamming.
Meanwhile, for Hoerner, it gets interesting. If the Cubs genuinely try to go for it in 2025, your best option is to keep Nico Hoerner around. But they may pull the trigger if you can get the best value for him with a year and a half left on his deal. Like the outfield situation, the Cubs have a plentiful of minor league infielders who will eventually be vying for a spot as the Cubs’ second baseman. If you don’t see Nico Hoerner as part of the longtime plans, maybe getting prospects for him now might be the Cubs’ ideal plan.
Nonetheless, this week will bring about many rumors that will have Cubs fans’ heads spinning and still upset about how this season ultimately turned out. Just keep an eye out for the potential availability of Hoerner and Tauchman.
