Red Sox Heavily Linked to Cubs Trade, But Projected to Fail

It's a price that might not be payable...

Sep 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) warms up before a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Ever since Alex Bregman left the Boston Red Sox for the Chicago Cubs, the two sides have seemed like obvious potential trade partners.

Bregman's arrival left the Cubs with five infielders, leaving Gold Glove second baseman Nico Hoerner and 2025 rookie standout Matt Shaw as potential trade candidates. Boston, meanwhile, only has three infielders it feels good about being everyday starters.

Those facts make it almost inherent that the two sides would discuss a trade at some point, and according to a Boston insider, those two Cubs might well be the Red Sox' preferred options. However, the same insider strongly hinted that Hoerner and Shaw would both still be wearing Cubs uniforms by the start of the regular season.

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Red Sox outlook on Hoerner/Shaw trades

Oct 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

On Friday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic provided an update on where things stood with the Red Sox and their various trade targets, and left a fairly pessimistic note about the potential of Boston landing Hoerner or Shaw.

"The Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw remain as trade options, particularly after the Cubs signed Bregman," wrote McCaffrey. "Both could provide strong defense at second base — particularly Hoerner, who posted 14 OAA last season at the position.

"But any package for either player is likely to begin with either Tolle or Early in addition to another top prospect, and that asking price may be too high."

Time is not on the Red Sox's side if they want to make something like this happen. Even if they're already willing to part ways with one of the two young lefties, they may not be able to bridge the gap between that baseline and whatever the Cubs would theoretically ask for in addition.

There's also reason to be wary of trading for both Cubs players. Hoerner is going to be a free agent in a year, so the Bregman disaster could happen all over again. Shaw's defense is ahead of his offense at this point, so he's not guaranteed to provide the production the Red Sox need the most.

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