...
By Jon Vankin
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Though both manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman continue to express their faith in him, there remains little question that third-year shortstop Anthony Volpe presented a serious problem for the New York Yankees last season. Posting a substandard .663 OPS, striking out 150 times with just 43 walks in 596 plate appearances, and leading the American League with 19 fielding errors, the 24-year-old from Morristown, New Jersey, proved a liability on both sides of the ball.
But on Monday, former MLB general manager and 1999 Executive of the Year Jim Bowden stated in an MLB Radio interview that the Yankees were now "linked" to Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner, presumably as a trade target. Bowden's report sparked one leading Yankees analyst to propose a deal that would bring in the seven-year veteran as a replacement for Volpe.
...
Read More on MLB
In an analysis published Monday by Empire Sports Media, Yankees correspondent Ryan Garcia said that even if the Yankees were to sign former Toronto Blue Jays free agent Bo Bichette, that would not solve their Volpe problem. But Hoerner would.
"While Bo Bichette would not play shortstop if he ended up on the Yankees and most teams with interest in him would move him off the position, Hoerner could replace Anthony Volpe," Garcia wrote. "Going from a sub-.300 OBP to a .330-.340 OBP hitter is a massive upgrade, and while the Cubs are not locks to trade him, the Yankees could get a massive upgrade if Nico Hoerner were to don the pinstripes."
The Cubs could have an incentive to part with the two-time Gold Glove winner in the fact that Hoerner's three-year, $35 million contract extension expires after the upcoming season, and the North Siders would risk losing their 2018 first-round draft pick to free agency if they do not act soon.
More MLB: Yankees Sign Right-Hander Out of Brewers Pitching Development Machine
The return for Hoerner coming from the Yankees, in Garcia's proposal, would be the Yankees' 2024 second-ranked pitching prospect Will Warren, who powered through a largely successful if not spectacular rookie season in 2025, making an American League-leading 33 starts (tied with teammate Carlos Rodón) with a respectable 4.44 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 162 1/3 innings.
"Will Warren is a player who interested the Cubs last winter when these two teams held trade talks about Cody Bellinger, and the Yankees inquired about Hoerner that winter as well," Garcia wrote on Monday. "Time will tell if the Cubs end up moving him, but the Yankees would love to add another right-handed bat and potentially someone who can upgrade over their worst everyday bat."
Hoerner was the Cubs' first-round draft pick in 2018 out of Stanford, but debuted with the major league team the following season. Volpe was a first-round pick in 2019, but did not break into the major leagues until 2023. In 2025, Hoerner compiled a WAR total of 6.2, tied for seventh among all position players in MLB. Volpe's WAR was just 1.6.
More MLB: Is ‘Incredibly Mature’ Yankees Prospect Already In Line to Replace Anthony Volpe?
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines