The Rundown Lite: Giants Eyeing Hoerner, Murakami Renaissance Growing, Trade Market Sluggish
I’m back after a whirlwind trip to find warmer temps and rain in the place of all the snow we had last weekend. MLB’s offseason weather is changing at a similar pace, with deals coming in fits and starts between periods of inactivity. Josh Naylor was the first big chip off the board, then came Dylan Cease about two weeks later. Kyle Schwarber and Edwin Diaz inked deals in quick succession about a week after Cease, after which Pete Alonso got paid. There have been other signings, to be sure, but the dam is far from breaking.
The relief market has been the most active so far this winter, with only Pete Fairbanks remaining among players who will be signed with the intent of closing games. There is still a bevy of big hitters waiting for offers, and the remaining parties don’t seem to be in any big hurry to find new homes. The most pivotal of those to Cubs fans is Alex Bregman, who many believe is seeking a six-year deal.
That alone might rule the Cubs out, though the Red Sox have a similar aversion to long-term commitments. It stands to reason that Bregman won’t be going anywhere until the posting windows close for a pair of Japanese infielders about whom there’s been surprisingly little news. We’ll get into that a little further along in this column, but let’s first look at the latest Cubs-related report gaining traction.
Giants Interested in Hoerner
Though I think it’s a whole lot of nothing beyond teams checking in on a player with just a year remaining on his current deal, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reports that the Giants are eyeing Nico Hoerner. It makes sense for them to have interest in a Bay Area kid, especially now that his hometown Oakland A’s have left town on their walkabout. When it comes to the Cubs entertaining such interest, however, it doesn’t hold much water.
Though Hoerner can become a free agent after the 2026 season, he’s the Cubs’ best all-around player and losing him would be detrimental to their chances. Yes, even if they essentially replace him with Bregman and slide Matt Shaw to second base. Hoerner isn’t going to command nearly as much as some folks seem to think he can on the open market, especially with the CBA expiring after the season, so extending him this winter would be in everyone’s best interest.
Murakami Bouncing Back
The initial reports on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami were so bad that some questioned whether he might end up back in NPB. That sentiment has started to change over the last week or so, with some debunking the narrative that he can’t hit velocity and others likening him to Kyle Schwarber. In his piece on the state of the offseason, Jeff Passan quoted one MLB exec as saying Murakami has “90 raw power.”
While the Cubs have seemed like a better potential landing spot for the older, more versatile Kazuma Okamoto, you have to wonder whether Murakami’s offers would stall to the point that he makes more sense. That’s kind of how they landed Shōta Imanaga.
Trades Not Progressing
Because of all the moving parts above, the trade market has pretty much stalled. That’s because teams holding control over any of the impact players expected to be moved are maintaining incredibly high asking prices, knowing that the unsigned guys at the top of the market are going to cost way more in terms of salary. Likewise, the players at the top of the market know the trade costs are too high for them to bother reducing their asks.
We’ll probably be a little ways into the new year before we get much real movement, which is a combination of posting windows closing and the holidays coming up. Most front offices try to build in a little quiet time at the end of the year, and the trio of Murakami, Okamoto, and Tatsuya Imai will have to make their decisions in the next two weeks or so.
More News and Notes
- Former Cub Chris Flexen is heading back to the KBO’s Doosan Bears.
- Bo Bichette has told teams he’s open to playing second base, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
- Keep an eye on former Cubs farmhand Pierce Johnson as a possible mid-tier relief option.
- Mike Trout could be spending time in CF again.
That’s all I’ve got time for right now, hope to have more to cover soon.
