With extreme fielding shifts banned next year, the Cubs are expected to explore a top-end shortstop market in free agency despite a breakout season by Nico Hoerner.
The Cubs already were expected to explore the second elite shortstop market in as many years this winter, with Boston’s Xander Bogaerts and Minnesota’s Carlos Correa expected to exercise opt-out clauses and join the Dodgers’ Trea Turner as free agents.
Take away the ability to shift Hoerner into the hottest danger zones batter to batter, and all of a sudden a subpar Cubs infield looks like a massive liability for a team that supposedly plans to compete in 2023. “The good thing about Nico is he’s willing to do whatever we’ve asked,” Ross said of the 2020 Gold Glove finalist at second base who has made a dramatic impression at shortstop for the Cubs this season. “What I know about him is he wants to win. The willingness to move around for him is real.”
“Nico’s already proven he’s a Gold Glove second baseman on top of whatever kind of awards he might get this year,” Ross said. “There’s a ton of value in that. It’s like having an elite center fielder and being able to get another outfielder and being able to move him to a corner.”
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