Dodgers could swipe Cubs 2B from under Yankees' noses as Bo Bichette slips away

As far as we know, the Dodgers are still in on Bo Bichette, but the Phillies (who hired Don Mattingly, Bichette's bench coach in Toronto) have met with him and could be the new frontrunners. Philadelphia seems far more invested in him and could be more willing to give him the $300 million he's reportedly seeking.

The Dodgers don't need a second baseman, but their interest in both Bichette and trade candidate Brendan Donovan telegraphs that it's a position they'd very much like to upgrade. Tommy Edman's status after an offseason ankle surgery is totally up in the air, and although they did re-sign Miguel Rojas and signed Andy Ibáñez, neither seem like serious candidates for an everyday role.

If the Dodgers are serious about adding a second baseman, we might direct their attention to the Cubs' Nico Hoerner. The Yankees have expressed "legitimate interest" in Hoerner, who might be pushed to the fringes of Chicago's roster now that Alex Bregman is in the mix for them, and wouldn't it be fun to steal a trade candidate from New York the same way they did with Devin Williams last year?

Dodgers could check in with Cubs on Nico Hoerner as Bo Bichette seems to slip away

Hoerner has been a Cub for his entire career and is beloved by fans in Chicago, who would almost certainly have a fit if he went to the Dodgers. He's in the last season of a three-year contract extension worth $35 million (he'll be making $12 million in 2026) and is a two-time Gold Glove winner at second base. He even earned MVP votes for his career-best 2025 season, when he hit .297 with a .739 OPS with 29 stolen bases and a mind-bogglingly low 7.6% strikeout rate, all of which amounted to a 6.2 bWAR.

It makes Hoerner an interesting case as a trade candidate. He's on the last year of a very affordable deal, but he's still only 28, had a fantastic 2025, and the Cubs love him.

However, the Dodgers have done very little this offseason. Every trade rumor from Donovan or Lars Nootbaar or Steven Kwan has sort of just evaporated into thin air. They still have the prospects to persuade the Cubs to make a deal, and making Yankees fans throw a fit is always fun.

It's definitely not Bichette-or-bust for the Dodgers, given their previous interest in Donovan, but they might have liked that he has one more year of team control on Bichette. Still, Hoerner fits the bill. They need youth, they need reliable contact, they could use a stronger middle infield, and they don't want to give out a long-term deal. Hoerner could be the answer.