{"id":409220,"date":"2026-01-13T00:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/409220\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T00:27:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:27:08","slug":"yankees-have-shown-interest-in-nico-hoerner-luis-robert-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/409220\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees Have Shown Interest In Nico Hoerner, Luis Robert Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"

At the start of the offseason, it felt inevitable that the Yankees and Cody Bellinger<\/a> would reunite. That may still happen but it seems up in the air at the moment. Talks between the two sides have seemingly stalled out. Jon Heyman of The New York Post<\/a> reports today that both sides have been exploring alternatives lately. Bellinger has interest from other clubs. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been touching base with free agents Bo Bichette<\/a> and Kyle Tucker<\/a>, who they have been connected to previously. They\u2019ve also checked in on trade candidates Luis Robert Jr.<\/a> of the White Sox and Nico Hoerner<\/a> of the Cubs. The Yanks\u2019 interest in Hoerner was first reported by Pat Ragazzo of SI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Bellinger spent 2025 in the Bronx and it seemed to go well. He hit 29 home runs and slashed .27\/.334\/.480 for a wRC+ 125. He stole 13 bases and played all three outfield slots as well as first base. He appeared to be especially comfortable in Yankee Stadium, slashing .302\/.365\/.544 there. He opted out of the final season of his contract, taking a $5MM buyout and leaving a $25MM salary on the table. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted<\/a> Bellinger to have enough juice for a five-year, $140MM deal.<\/p>\n

It was reported<\/a> on New Year\u2019s Day that the Yanks had made an offer to Bellinger. A few days later came reports<\/a> of a second offer. No details of either offer were initially revealed but further reporting<\/a> indicated the sides weren\u2019t close to a deal. Subsequent<\/a> reporting<\/a> has put the Yankee offer at five years and over $30MM annually, putting the guarantee somewhere in the vicinity of $155MM. That hasn\u2019t been enough to get a deal done with Bellinger hoping to get to seven years.<\/p>\n

It seems the two sides have taken a break from the staredown to look elsewhere. Heyman says they continued talking over the weekend but each party is considering alternatives. Heyman mentions the Dodgers, Giants and Mets as clubs believed to have interest in Bellinger. Those clubs have all been tied to Bellinger via rumors earlier this winter but are imperfect fits. All three could use outfield help to varying degrees but they also appear to be trying to avoid long-term commitments at the moment.<\/p>\n

Since the hold-up between the Yankees and Bellinger appears to be the length of their offer, it\u2019s hard to envision any of these clubs outbidding the Yankees. Any of the three could perhaps change their stance to take advantage of this opportunity but it also could be more likely that those clubs would prefer to get Bellinger via another short-term, opt-out laden deal. It\u2019s unclear if he would want to do that after going down that road a couple of years ago, but it presumably depends on where things go in the next few weeks.<\/p>\n

The Blue Jays have also been connected to Bellinger this winter but it seems they are more focused on Bichette and Tucker with Bellinger perhaps a backup plan. The Cubs were also connected to their old friend Bellinger this winter but signing Alex Bregman<\/a> is presumably their big splash of the winter.<\/p>\n

For the Yankees, they could perhaps increase their offer but are also seeing what else is on the menu. With Hoerner, it\u2019s unclear if the Cubs have any interest in trading him but he has been in rumors and it\u2019s arguable they should consider it. Hoerner is a good player but is a free agent after 2026. With the Cubs recently signing Bregman, their infield is now a bit cluttered. Putting Bregman at third bumps Matt Shaw<\/a> to the bench.<\/p>\n

If they wanted to, the Cubs could trade Hoerner and then move Shaw to second base. That would declutter things a bit and also should bring back something of note. Hoerner\u2019s $12MM salary this year is very affordable considering his production. He doesn\u2019t hit a ton of home runs but rarely strikes out, relying on his contact, speed and defense to provide value. It\u2019s a combination that works, as FanGraphs has credited him with 3.9 wins above replacement or more in each of the past four years.<\/p>\n

It could also give the Cubs a bit more breathing room in terms of the competitive balance tax. The Cubs went narrowly above the CBT in 2024 but have otherwise stayed under the line in each season from 2021 to the present.<\/p>\n

RosterResource<\/a> currently estimates them for a CBT number of just over $243MM, putting them less than a million from this year\u2019s line. A team\u2019s CBT number isn\u2019t calculated until the end of the year, so in-season moves can move a club up or down. If the Cubs want to avoid the tax in 2026, creating some space now could be something they consider to give them more ability to make moves at the deadline.<\/p>\n

For the Yankees, Hoerner wouldn\u2019t help replace Bellinger in the outfield but he should make the team better. Though he has largely been a second baseman for the Cubs, he is considered good enough to be a shortstop. He has just been on the other side of the bag in deference to Dansby Swanson<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Yanks have an uncertain shortstop situation at present, hence their previous connection to Bichette. Anthony Volpe<\/a> is coming off a down year and may not be ready for Opening Day 2026 as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Jos\u00e9 Caballero<\/a> currently projects as the top shortstop for the early season, though he has mostly been a utility guy in his career. If the Yanks add a shortstop, then he could return to that role.<\/p>\n

The thinking with signing Bichette had a couple of attractions. He could upgrade the shortstop position now, then second base in the future. Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a> is currently the club\u2019s second baseman but he is slated for free agency after the upcoming season. With the Yanks having shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr.<\/a> waiting in the wings, Bichette could cover short for a year and then slide to the other side of the bag with either Lombard or a resurgent Volpe at short.<\/p>\n

Hoener wouldn\u2019t be quite the same acquisition, barring an extension, as he is only signed through 2026. Still, that would likely have appeal for the Yankees in a different way. They could upgrade the middle infield for now without making a huge commitment. After 2026, depending on how things go with Lombard, Volpe, Hoerner and Chisholm, they could then decide about how to invest in the middle infield for the long term.<\/p>\n

They would, however, have to give the Cubs something of value in return. As mentioned, it\u2019s unclear if the Cubs have any interest at all in flipping Hoerner. Even if they do, they would presumably be looking for some kind of win-now upgrade, likely on the pitching staff. With the Yanks looking for pitching help themselves, it may be challenging to line up a deal that makes sense for both sides.<\/p>\n

As for Robert, he is surely available but also tricky to value. He has shown borderline MVP upside but is coming off two years marred by injuries and underperformance. In 2023, he hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases, slashed .264\/.315\/.542 and got strong grades for his center field defense. But since then, he has made a number of trips to the injured list while slashing .223\/.288\/.372 for a wRC+ of 84.<\/p>\n

The White Sox are rebuilding and will surely trade Robert but are seemingly hoping to trade him at peak value. He wasn\u2019t moved in 2025 even though it was the final guaranteed year of his contract. They picked up a $20MM option for 2026. Teams like the Yankees and others might want to buy low but the Sox are likely motivated to wait. After his down year, it would make sense to hold him until the deadline, with the hope of him getting back in form and therefore increasing his trade value.<\/p>\n

The Yankee outfield currently projects to include Aaron Judge<\/a> and Trent Grisham<\/a> in two spots. If the season started today, Jasson Dom\u00ednguez<\/a> and Spencer Jones<\/a> would battle for a third. Dom\u00ednguez is coming off a rough year in 2025, with an average bat and poor defense. Jones hit 35 home runs in the minors last year but also struck out 35.4% of the time, creating some doubt about how viable his bat will be in the majors.<\/p>\n

Acquiring Hoerner wouldn\u2019t do much to change that picture but perhaps the Yanks would be more comfortable with the uncertainty of the Dom\u00ednguez\/Jones combo with a stronger infield. Bringing back Bellinger, signing Tucker or acquiring Robert would strengthen the outfield group, bumping Dom\u00ednguez to more of a part-time role and keeping Jones in Triple-A.<\/p>\n

There are many moving pieces here as the offseason moves into the final weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Tucker, Bichette and Bellinger are the top position players still out there, with a lot of overlapping interest. The Jays are seemingly in on all three, considered by some to be the favorites for Tucker but a Bichette reunion also makes sense. Like Bellinger, Bichette is considering other options. He is meeting with the Phillies today, although that is a bit complicated, as Philadelphia would seemingly have to move on from both J.T. Realmuto<\/a> and Alec Bohm<\/a> to fit Bichette onto the roster and into the budget. The Red Sox just missed on Bregman and could turn to Bichette but they don\u2019t seem too keen on big long-term investments. The Dodgers, Giants and Mets may be looking to get opportunistic if a nice short-term opportunity becomes possible.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bit of a game of musical chairs with the Yankees and Bellinger some of the key participants. Bregman just found a seat in Chicago but others will have to sit soon. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in about a month, so the music is slowing down.<\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At the start of the offseason, it felt inevitable that the Yankees and Cody Bellinger would reunite. That…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":409221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[64,63,21598,7310,16051,17859,591,119068,85],"class_list":["post-409220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bo-bichette","tag-cody-bellinger","tag-kyle-tucker","tag-luis-robert","tag-mlb","tag-nico-hoerner","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=409220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/409220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/409221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=409220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=409220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=409220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}