Yankees should continue to pursue Cubs trade target not named Cody Bellinger

Jack Curry's admissions on Monday night's YES Network Hot Stove show all but sealed it: the Yankees are interested in a trade for Cody Bellinger, either for center field or first base.

If they're so enthusiastic about it, and believe they can adequately match dollars, then they should go forth immediately. Bellinger has never been our favorite target, but he represents a clear upgrade over Anthony Rizzo at first base. If he has to play the outfield, something has likely gone wrong in the Juan Soto chase, but at least he presents versatility.

There's a lot of swing-and-miss in his game. It's imperfect, but he tries. And, at this point, what can we do to resist? Curry has spoken. The Yankees like what they see. They're no longer combing through blogs hoping to get the go-ahead.

But perhaps there's a different Cubs rumor that should be gaining more traction (or should be attached to the Bellinger talks). Per a little bit of Chicago buzz, the Yankees have been among the teams interested in pursuing a Nico Hoerner trade.

Pair that with Curry's nugget about Caleb Durbin likely making the Opening Day roster, and it's now clearer why Jon Berti wasn't an offseason priority.

Yankees could be interested in Nico Hoerner trade with Cubs (in addition to Cody Bellinger?)

Hoerner, an underrated versatile gem, has settled into Chicago's infield mix as a league-average bat/elite defender hybrid. Entering his age-28 season coming off a 101 OPS+, he now sits at the completely average baseline of 100 for the duration of his career. All 2,017 at-bats. That's enough of a sample size to determine he won't make up for what'll be lost offensively when Gleyber Torres departs, but he'll certainly insure against the type of roller-coaster drops the Yankees have been exposed to for years.

Oh, and the defense. The defense. Going from Torres to Hoerner would be like going from Garth Brooks to Brooks Robinson. Hoerner, who's played third, short, left and center, in addition to his typical purview, posted 12 DRS at second base in 2023 and four in 2024. His range factor and fielding run value also grade out positively across the board. Defensive metrics are notoriously finicky, but when they all fall in your favor, you're doing something right. Hoerner has turned himself into a 3.5-4 WAR player mainly on the strength of his solid glove. If the Yankees are interested in adding a second, more mature version of Anthony Volpe (with, yes, a slightly better bat), Hoerner would be a wonderful fit.

Of course, Bellinger might be more realistic, based on this week's breadcrumbs. But why not both?