The Giants may not be finished dealing this offseason. Notably, after shoring up both the starting rotation and the bullpen, San Francisco is now reportedly looking to upgrade the infield. Yes, they already have a strong core with Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers. But adding one more dependable name could push the Giants into elite territory.

That potential upgrade, however, might come at the Cubs’ expense. Jed Hoyer just committed big money to Alex Bregman. He signed the star third baseman to a five-year, $175 million deal last week. With that move, Nico Hoerner’s long-term future in Chicago suddenly feels a bit murky, and the Giants could be lurking, ready to pounce. Still, not everyone in Chicago is convinced this would be the right move.

“Hoerner had an incredible season in 2025. Just the 11th player since 2000 with an oWAR (offensive wins above replacement) of 4.5 or greater with 7 or fewer home runs. He did it all at the plate without the long ball. 4.5 was the highest with 7 or fewer HR’s since Bogaerts in 2015,” ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reacted to the Giants-Hoerner rumors.

Well, the Buster Posey-led Giants did see some real progress from Casey Schmitt last season, especially down the stretch when he handled most of the duties at second base. They may feel decent about their internal options, but it’s pretty clear San Francisco is still poking around for a possible upgrade. And it’s hard to imagine a much better fit than Nico Hoerner.

Hoerner, who signed a 3 year, $35,000,000 contract with the Chicago Cubs, is coming off a strong year in Chicago, hitting .297/.345/.394 with seven homers, 61 RBIs, and 29 steals while playing all 156 games.

That said, this scenario doesn’t exactly scream win for the Cubs.

Chicago isn’t dealing from a place of desperation, as they’ve already addressed their needs through free agency and trades. There’s no glaring hole on the big-league roster to fill in a Hoerner deal. And for a team with World Series ambitions, swapping a proven everyday player for a handful of long-shot prospects just doesn’t add up.

So, if the Cubs were to seriously consider moving him, the return would have to make sense both now and down the road. The most logical ask would be a high-end pitching prospect, someone close to MLB-ready who could step in as the current rotation starts to turn over. However, even if that fits the Cubs’ long-term plan, though, fans don’t seem to be buying in.

A quick look at the conversation on social media shows plenty of skepticism about whether trading Hoerner is the right move at all.

Fans offer a reality check for the Cubs front office

How could the Cubs trade Hoerner despite his valuable contributions all these years? Fans wonder.

“Correct, Jesse. Anyone who has played or coached baseball appreciates Nico’s value to the Cubs. Take a poll of his teammates. Ask Dansby and Busch,” one fan said. “Trading Nico would serve no purpose at all. He just had one of the best performances in the postseason in Cubs history,” added another.

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Well, Hoerner isn’t a “boom-or-bust” player with big ups and downs. Rather, he’s shown through multiple seasons that he consistently gets on base, plays plus defense, and adds value in ways teams rely on. Beyond hitting, he’s one of baseball’s top defensive second basemen, winning multiple Gold Gloves and bringing speed and baserunning value to the table. So trading him is surely a risky bet for the Cubs.

“Do you think the cubs move him? I think it would be incredibly dumb if the cubs do that,” another agreed.

“What would the potential return be? Is an MLB-ready top prospect on the table?” One user wondered.

“Giants do not have the Farm or Players on the active roster it would take to even make sense. Eldridge and lottery tickets are all they have, and the Cubs have Busch,” another responded.

Well, there are a couple of names the Giants could dangle if they seriously pursue a Hoerner trade. But whether that’s enough for Chicago is another question. For example, Hayden Birdsong made 10 starts in 2025 before being shifted to the bullpen, but the raw stuff is there. His fastball has some life, and the whiff rates are encouraging.

Carson Whisenhunt is the more interesting piece in the conversation. Ranked as the Giants’ No. 7 prospect, the 25-year-old left-hander didn’t make much noise in his brief MLB stint last season. But his changeup is widely considered one of the best in the game. That alone gives him some real upside if everything clicks.

Even so, trading away a player as consistent and well-rounded as Hoerner would create a noticeable gap for the Cubs!