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By Aaron Coloma
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The New York Post's Jon Heyman linked the Boston Red Sox to Chicago Cubs infielders Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw.
"[The Cubs] have been listening in on star second baseman Nico Hoerner, who’s entering his walk year, and second-year infielder Matt Shaw, with Boston a possible fit since they are trying to improve their infield and have an extra outfielder," Heyman wrote.
The Red Sox could definitely use another serviceable bat in their lineup, especially at second and base. Kristian Campbell spent the most time at second during his rookie season, but his offensive underproduction left a lot to be desired after an early-season extension. Alex Bregman played the hot corner, but his departure in free agency has left the Red Sox scrambling.
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Hoerner and Shaw fill these roles perfectly , and the Red Sox are more than capable of pursuing the two with their plethora of young talent.
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Why is Nico Hoerner a Good Addition for the Red Sox?
Among players available on the trade block, Hoerner is definitely one of the better ones.
The infielder had the best season of his career in 2025 by bWAR, accruing 6.2 by the end of the season. He placed second in the race for the NL batting title behind Trea Turner, getting hits at a .297 clip, and earned his second Gold Glove last season.
He slugged seven home runs and recorded 61 RBIs, while also stealing 29 bases during the season.
The Red Sox ranked fourth in MLB in batting average last season, and adding a weapon like Hoerner would be adding to their strength. A second baseman of Hoerner's caliber would be a clear upgrade for the Red Sox and keep them towards the top of the AL East.
Why is Matt Shaw a Good Addition for the Red Sox?
Shaw is less of an upgrade for the Red Sox, but could be useful nonetheless.
He slashed .226/.295/.394 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in his rookie season, falling just below league average in OPS+ with 98.
The Red Sox already have a young third baseman in Marcelo Mayer, but having a right-handed hitter to platoon with Mayer could benefit the Red Sox and make their lineup just that much deeper.
Mayer had comparable averages in a much smaller sample size than Shaw, and a full season in the bigs could see the both of them massively improve.
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