The Cubs poked around the shortstop market last offseason, even inquiring about Carlos Correa before he signed with the Twins the first time. This winter, the matter was more pressing, not only because of the strength of the shortstop class for the second year in a row, but also for what acquiring a shortstop would mean for second base.
“The offseason strategy to find a shortstop so we could put Nico [Hoerner] at second was maybe the highest priority,” chairman Tom Ricketts said in a conversation with the Sun-Times last week.
