Trade Proposal Has Yankees Acquiring Star $35 Million Infielder in Blockbuster

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Trade pitch has Yankees acquiring Nico Hoerner.

The New York Yankees have a need at second base and one trade pitch has them acquiring a star infielder in a multi-player blockbuster.

The Yankees saw Gleyber Torres leave in free agency to the Detroit Tigers and since then, New York has been linked to several infielders. However, they have to acquire one so MLB insider Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that would see the Yankees acquire Nico Hoerner from the Chicago Cubs.

Yankees acquire:

Nico Hoerner

Cubs acquire:

Marcus Stroman
Oswaldo Cabrera
Roderick Arias (Yankees’ No. 3 prospect)
Cash

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as New York would acquire Hoerner to fill their need at second base. Chicago, meanwhile, would acquire Cabrera who could be his replacement, a starting pitcher in Stroman, and a top infield prospect in Arias.

Hoerner is in the second year of his three-year $35 million deal. The 27-year-old is a one-time Gold Glove winner and would be a good bat at the bottom of the order for the Yankees. Hoerner hit .273 with 7 home runs and 48 RBIs last season.

In return, New York would send Stroman back to the Cubs who pitched for Chicago in 2022 and 2023. Stroman is in the final year of his two-year $37 million deal. The starting pitcher could be a fourth or fifth starter for the Cubs. Last season, Stroman went 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 29 starts.

Cabrera, meanwhile, is a utility infielder who could help fill the void of Hoerner. In 2024, he hit .247 with 8 home runs and 36 RBIs in his third season in the MLB. Arias, meanwhile, is 20 and was an international free agent signing in 2022. He spent last season in A and hit .233 with 13 home runs and 74 RBIs.

Insider Makes Case for Yankees to Acquire Hoerner

New York has a need at second base, and Rymer believes Hoerner would be able to fill the need at second base.

Rymer believes Hoerner would be a perfect replacement for Torres as he’s a top defender and can also steal some bases.

“The Yankees have already made one impact trade with the Cubs, acquiring Cody Bellinger in a deal that was effectively a salary dump for the North Siders. Perhaps it’s telling that the Yankees couldn’t also get Hoerner, but he’s certainly a player they should want,” Rymer wrote.

“He’s one of the best there is defensively at second base, ranking fourth with 23 Outs Above Average since the start of 2023,” Rymer added. “He would also bring an elite bat-to-ball skill and the speed to steal 30-plus bases to New York. All these are qualities the Yankees should want, lest anyone (rightfully) call them out for lacking fundamentals again.”

Although Rymer likes the deal for the Yankees, he isn’t sure if the Cubs would accept it. But, a potential reason for Chicago to accept is because of Arias and Cabrera who could be long-term answers for the Cubs.

“This is, admittedly, a reach from the Cubs’ perspective,” Rymer wrote. “They’re not hurting for prospects, and going from Hoerner to Cabrera on the infield would be a downgrade… As long-term upside plays go, Arias is not too shabby. By MLB.com’s reckoning, the 20-year-old has 30-30 potential.”

New York Looking at Infielders

The Yankees have done most of their heavy lifting in the offseason, but New York is still looking to add an infielder.

MLB insider Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote that New York has been calling teams about infielders, and were in on Gavin Lux before he got traded to the Cincinnati Reds.

“The Yankees are unquestionably a deeper team — and they’re not done, either,” Passan wrote. “They’ve continued to discuss Luis Arráez with San Diego and inquired about Gavin Lux, whom the Dodgers could trade, to fill their open second-base slot. When the contract demands for relief pitching drop, the Yankees could dabble there, too.”

At this point, it seems more likely than not the Yankees add an impact infielder before spring training.

Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton