The Chicago Cubs head into the offseason coming off their first real playoff run in almost a decade, bringing a sense of baseball excitement back to the city and a renewed hope for contention.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer knew he had to make big moves in order to get this team back where they belonged — and keep his seat from getting warm — so that is precisely what he did. The Kyle Tucker trade is the first thing that comes to mind when reflecting on last offseason, but Hoyer did a nice job finding value out of his less notable acquisitions as well.

Now, with Tucker likely headed for the exit, Hoyer must figure out his next move to light the world on fire. With a ton of free agents hitting the open market, perhaps Chicago could look to deal from within their own core in order to open up space to shake things up in the lineup.

One particular name makes some sense as someone whom Hoyer could look to dangle as trade bait, both to free up cash as well as a position on the diamond.

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Since signing his seven-year, $177 million contract with Chicago prior to the 2023 season, Swanson has quickly become a fan favorite with his elite defense and timely hitting. The numbers with regard to his WAR show his value to the team (13.6 bWAR since 2023), but the offense has not quite been there at the rate the Cubs would have hoped.

Over the last two seasons, the slash line for Swanson has been just .243/.306/.404, and though he has clubbed 40 home runs in that same period after hitting 24 in 2025 for his highest total since joining Chicago, it’s safe to say the bat is not where most expected for a player making nearly $30 million annually.

Swanson makes $28 million for each of the next two seasons before making $27 million in 2028 and $26 million in 2029, at which point he will be 35 years old and likely have seen his defense suffer immensely.

Signing up for four more years while likely knowing his best baseball is already behind him now at 31 is a tough sell. But would Hoyer actually pull the trigger?

Cubs Trading Swanson Now Allows Them to Pursue Younger Talent

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Chicago was mentioned this week as a potential free agency fit for Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette, and while the defense would obviously take a hit, Bichette is four years younger than Swanson and among the best pure hitters in all of baseball.

Bichette may wind up switching positions defensively due to his shortcomings with the glove, but it’s safe to say most would take the massive offensive upgrade in exchange for defense that suffers.

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Whether it’s Bichette or someone else, though, Swanson will not have higher trade value at any point than right now, so if the Cubs have any reservations about keeping him for almost the entire next half-decade, trading him now should be something they consider.

Not only would it likely be a haul in return, but it also opens up an entire world of options for the lineup.

To this point, there’s been no real noise about the possibility of trading Swanson, but it would not be shocking to have it wind up being something Hoyer considers this winter.

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