The San Francisco Giants are aggressively pursuing a second baseman and have engaged in trade discussions with the Chicago Cubs regarding Nico Hoerner and St. Louis Cardinals about Brendan Donovan, sources told ESPN. A trade for either player would complete an elite infield alongside Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers.

Both targets posted strong 2025 seasons with distinct strengths. Hoerner appeared in 156 games while Donovan's campaign was limited to 118 games due to injury.

Hoerner posted a .297 batting average with a .345 on-base percentage in 2025. He struck out just 49 times in nearly 600 at-bats, maintaining his reputation as one of baseball's toughest outs.

The Cubs second baseman stole 29 bases to lead his team. He played Gold Glove-caliber defense across 153 games at second base and compiled 4.8 WAR.

Donovan hit .287 with 10 home runs and posted a superior .775 OPS in his injury-shortened season. The Cardinals utility player earned his first All-Star selection in 2025.

A left groin strain sidelined Donovan for 24 games in August. He finished with 50 RBIs and a .353 on-base percentage across 118 games, compiling 2.7 WAR.

The Giants' pursuit of either player would complete one of MLB's premier infields. An alignment featuring Chapman at third base, Adames at shortstop and Devers at first base would provide elite defense and offensive production.

Hoerner is under team control through 2026 after signing a three-year contract worth $35 million. Hoerner played collegiately at Stanford and was the 24th overall pick in 2028. Donovan has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining before reaching free agency. Donovan was a seventh round pick in 2018 out of South Alabama.