Red Sox–Cubs Rumors Are Back, Because Of Course They Are

With every backup plan gone, the Red Sox are left staring at the Cubs and pretending this was always the idea

Just when you thought the Boston Red Sox had officially run out of infield chairs in this offseason’s game of musical incompetence, here come the Chicago Cubs again — jingling the keys, smirking, and reminding everyone that Boston still doesn’t have a real plan.

The spark this time? Brendan Donovan getting shipped out to Seattle, which officially slams shut yet another door the Red Sox spent months standing near without actually opening.

And now, predictably, the rumor mill is doing that thing where it pretends there’s still a clever move left on the board instead of admitting the obvious: Boston waited too long, overthought everything, and now has to overpay or live with it.

Welcome back to Red Sox Digest reality hour.

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The Bregman Fallout: When “Let’s See How It Plays Out” Becomes a Lifestyle

Let’s rewind for half a second.

Alex Bregman leaves. Signs with the Cubs. Boston responds by… vibing. No urgency. No pivot. No decisive “fine, Plan B.” Just a slow leak of names that sound good in theory and disappear in practice.

• Eugenio Suárez? Gone.

• Brendan Donovan? Traded.

• Isaac Paredes? “Not a great fit,” which is Red Sox front-office speak for we don’t want to pay the asking price.

And now here we are, staring at the Cubs’ infield depth chart like it’s a clearance rack five minutes before closing.

The irony? The Cubs don’t need to do anything. Which means Boston would have to actually take a risk, something this organization treats like it’s a contagious disease.

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The Cubs Angle: Nico Hoerner or Bust (And Everyone Knows It)

According to chatter revived after the Donovan trade, the Cubs are at least listening on infielders. That’s not the same thing as selling — it’s more like letting you look through the glass while holding the price gun.

The two names that matter:

• Nico Hoerner

• Matt Shaw

Matt Shaw is fine. Useful. Defense-first. Rookie growing pains at the plate. He’s the kind of player teams talk themselves into when the better option costs more.

Which is why this entire discussion only really has one adult answer.

Nico Hoerner is the move. Period.

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Nico Hoerner: Boring, Efficient, and Exactly What Boston Lacks

Let’s get this out of the way: Hoerner is not flashy. He doesn’t sell jerseys to casual fans. He doesn’t hit 35 bombs or pimp moonshots.

What he does is play actual baseball, which in 2026 apparently counts as a market inefficiency.

In 2025, Hoerner played 156 games and hit:

• .297 average

• .345 OBP

• .394 slug

• 29 stolen bases

• Elite, elite defense

Translation: he gets on base, doesn’t give it back in the field, and doesn’t light innings on fire with dumb mistakes.

You know — the opposite of what Red Sox infields have been doing lately.

Boston doesn’t need another “upside bat.” They need someone who stabilizes the lineup, moves runners, plays clean defense, and lets everyone else stop pretending they’re something they’re not.

Hoerner would quietly become one of the most important players on the roster the moment he walked into Fenway.

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“But the Cost Would Be High” — Yes, That’s How Trades Work

Here’s where the conversation always collapses into fear.

Yes, the Cubs would want real prospects.
Yes, Boston would have to swallow hard.
Yes, it would hurt a little.

Good.

That’s what competitive windows look like when you stop hoarding prospects like unopened action figures.

If Craig Breslow actually believes the Red Sox are closer to 2026 contention than perpetual “retooling,” this is the exact type of trade you make. You don’t get Hoerner by offering spare parts and vibes.

You get him by deciding that future maybes are less valuable than present certainty.

Scary, right?

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Matt Shaw: The Consolation Prize Nobody Wants to Admit Is One

Let’s be clear: if the Red Sox pivot to Matt Shaw, it will be sold as “a strong defensive addition with upside.”

And it will also be an admission that they once again chose the safer, cheaper, less decisive option.

Shaw’s glove is legit. No argument there. But the bat? Still a question mark. And this lineup already has enough question marks to qualify as a crossword puzzle.

Boston doesn’t need another project.
They need answers.

Hoerner is an answer.

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The Bigger Picture: This Is About Philosophy, Not Just One Player

This isn’t really about the Cubs.
Or Hoerner.
Or Shaw.

It’s about whether the Red Sox are willing to pay the price for competence instead of endlessly kicking the can down the road.

Every offseason we hear the same song:

• “We like our internal options”

• “The price was too steep”

• “We didn’t want to mortgage the future”

And every season we watch the same movie:

• Inconsistent offense

• Sloppy infield play

• Fans told to be patient while other teams actually improve

At some point, patience just becomes an excuse for inaction.

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Final Thought: Either Push the Chips In, or Stop Pretending

If the Red Sox want to be taken seriously in 2026, this is the moment. Not a deadline scramble. Not a July patch job. Now.

Call the Cubs.
Pay the price.
Get the player who fits.

And if they won’t?

Then at least be honest about what this is: another year of half-measures, rationalizations, and pretending “flexibility” wins games.

Because Nico Hoerner isn’t just an infielder.

He’s a test.

And the Red Sox have been failing those for a while now.