Cubs' No. 4 prospect is their 'most likely' trade bait for Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner reason

Cubs' No. 4 prospect is their 'most likely' trade bait for Alex Bregman, Nico Hoerner reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Chicago Cubs have their infield set for the foreseeable future.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner just signed a six-year extension, and third baseman Alex Bregman is not going anywhere until at least 2030.

Middle infielders looking for a full-time job at shortstop will still have to wait until 2029, when Dansby Swanson's contract expires.

That's why it's hard to imagine that they won't dangle some top prospects in exchange for pitching, ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote Monday. He labeled 20-year-old shortstop Jefferson Rojas as Chicago's most likely trade candidate.

"Rojas is one of the Cubs' top prospects, a shortstop in Double-A with a nice swing and enough glove to stick at the position. With Dansby Swanson signed through 2029, Nico Hoerner recently extended with a six-year deal, and Alex Bregman signed through 2030, Rojas' path to playing time in the infield is blocked," Schoenfield wrote.

"Meanwhile, with Cade Horton out for the season and some concerns about the bullpen depth, dealing Rojas could help get a quality pitcher for the stretch run."

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