Nico Hoerner is perfect trade candidate for Yankees to turn page on Anthony Volpe

To one degree or another, the New York Yankees are at least mulling the idea of adding another infielder to the mix. The Bo Bichette rumors are there, but the insiders can't agree on how real the interest really is. What is for sure, though, is that for once, the organization isn't standing staunchly behind Anthony Volpe.

Bichette is a poor fit for what the Yankees need. His days at shortstop should be over, and while his skillset is different than Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s, he likely isn't a better player than the Yankees' second baseman.

However, in the Bichette buzz, another Yankees link was revealed, with Jim Bowden revealing that he's heard them linked to a potential trade for Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner.

Nico Hoerner would be the perfect Yankees trade target to replace Anthony Volpe

Despite the Cubs' status as contenders, trade rumors have persistently followed Hoerner. The reasoning is simple: the 28-year-old is a free agent at season's end, and Chicago wants controllable assets at all costs.

Meanwhile, according to Bowden, the Yankees are "obsessed with adding a right-handed bat," which is a box that Hoerner checks. With a .297 batting average and an impressive 7.6% strikeout rate in 2025, he also fulfills skills that Cody Bellinger would, though he's never hit more than 10 homers in a single season in his career. He makes up for some of that power deficiency with speed on the bases, tallying 29 stolen bases in 2025.

Still, Hoerner's elite contact skills (.282 career average) would bring another level of balance to the Yankees' lineup beyond simply balancing out the handedness issue.

Defensively, Hoerner is a stud. While he's primarily played second base and won Gold Gloves at the position in 2023 and 2025, Hoerner has experience at shortstop as well. At short, he's been nearly as good when given the opportunity.

In 2022, he logged 1,117 2/3 innings at shortstop, posting 13 outs above average and 10 defensive runs saved. Even if he isn't Gold Glove-caliber (and there's a chance that he is), there is no doubt that he can still be an above-average defensive shortstop.

That would rectify a ton of Volpe's issues. While Volpe can run into streaks where he gets homer happy, his lack of contact ability and frequent strikeouts have limited his ability to make an impact on the bases, while his frequent defensive lapses have drawn the ire of fans.

The Yankees also match up well with the Cubs for a trade. While Chicago is closing in on acquiring Edward Cabrera (saving the Yankees from themselves), they'll need rotation help in the near future.

Former Yankee Jameson Taillon is an impending free agent alongside Shota Imanaga. If Matthew Boyd repeats his 2025 performance in 2026, he'll decline his portion of a 2027 mutual option and join the other hurlers in the free-agent pool.

The Cubs won't spend enough to replace three-fifths of their rotation next offseason, and the Yankees have a wealth of young arms in their system that could be ready for primetime in 2027. Parting with one in a package for Hoerner would make a ton of sense.

Hoerner's defense and right-handed bat would make immediate impacts, and his unique skillset would provide the lineup with a dimension that's been sorely lacking in recent years. Forget Bo Bichette, this is the infielder the Yanks should be concerning themselves with bringing to the Bronx.