State of the Cubs: Some questions marks surround second base

After consecutive 83-79 seasons and missing out on the playoffs both times, the Cubs are beginning one of their most crucial winters in recent years. As the hot stove season kicks off in earnest, we analyze the Cubs depth chart at each position and how Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office might address the team’s needs.

Next up: Second base

DEPTH CHART

1. Nico Hoerner
2. Nick Madrigal
3. Miles Mastrobuoni
4. Luis Vázquez
5. Matt Shaw
6. James Triantos

ANALYSIS

Normally, this position isn’t a question mark. A Gold Glove-winning second baseman who was second on the team in fWAR usually puts you in a good position. But Hoerner’s surgery in October to repair a right flexor tendon injury has put this spot on the diamond as a question mark for the Cubs.

The Cubs have no timeline for a return for Hoerner. Opening Day is earlier next year for the Cubs — March 18 in Tokyo against the Dodgers — another wrinkle in Hoerner’s recovery.

The 27-year-old had been dealing with the injury for about half the season in 2024 and played through it.

“I think if you go back now and watch — we knew about it — I think you can see some double play turns, he probably didn’t have as much on the throw as he wanted,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at last week’s GM Meetings in San Antonio. “You can see him kind of running balls over and kind of short-arming some balls. So, I think it’s a credit to his toughness that he was able just to play through and play really well.”

If Hoerner’s return is only slightly delayed and doesn’t miss much time, the Cubs have internal options already on their 40-man roster in Madrigal, Mastrobuoni and Vázquez.

But if it’s a longer-term injury, the Cubs’ prospect depth will be thrust into the spotlight.

“I think it’s a position that we have some depth in the minor leagues with guys like Shaw and Triantos,” Hoyer said last week.

WHAT’S NEXT

Shaw and Triantos provide the Cubs a future at second base. Both are Top 100 prospects and could impact the team as soon as 2025. Hoerner’s injury and contract status could mean the future is closer than expected, too.

Hoerner’s surgery should allow his arm strength to return, allowing him to play second base more effectively in 2025 — he was not a Gold Glove finalist after winning the award in 2023. But it also allows him to backup Dansby Swanson at shortstop, too. With the injury, Hoerner likely wouldn’t have been able to fill in full-time at the position if Swanson had suffered a long-term injury.

Hoerner is also probably the only position player that is movable if the Cubs look to make an offseason trade to shake up their offensive core. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson all have no-trade clauses and other players like Isaac Paredes, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch won’t likely be in trade conversations because of their age and contract experience.

If a team needs a shortstop or second baseman, Hoerner could be an enticing trade target, given his age, contract control (2 more seasons on his 3-year extension he signed) and salary ($11.5 million in 2025 and $12 million in 2026).

BOTTOM LINE

If he’s healthy, Hoerner will be the Cubs everyday second baseman in 2025 — and that will form an elite, up-the-middle defense for the Cubs with Swanson at shortstop and Crow-Armstrong in center field. But if Hoerner isn’t ready to go, or the Cubs find a trade for him that improves the team, then a pair of Top 100 prospects ready to go is a nice problem to have.

State of the Cubs series
Catcher
First base
Second base
Third base: Nov. 18
Shortstop: Nov. 19
Left field: Nov. 20
Center field: Nov. 21
Right field: Nov. 22
DH: Nov. 25
Starting rotation: Nov. 26
Bullpen: Nov. 27