The San Francisco Giants are in the market for a second baseman as they look to improve their roster ahead of the 2026 season.
San Francisco has reportedly been linked to both the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan and the Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, as the Giants continue to engage in trade discussions around MLB.
Passan said on X, formerly Twitter, that the Giants are ‘aggressively pursuing’ a second baseman.
Brendan Donovan 2025 stats
Donovan to the Giants has been whispered throughout the offseason.
It’s no secret that the soon-to-be 29-year-old was on the market, and San Francisco wanted to upgrade the second base position.
Donovan hit a career-best .287 with 10 homers, 32 doubles and 50 RBIs in 118 games in 2025. He proved to be a team leader for the Cardinals, both on and off the field, and was named an All-Star.
Donovan won a Gold Glove Award in 2022.
He ranked in MLB’s 96th percentile in batted balls being squared up (36.8%) and in MLB’s 95th percentile in whiff rate (13.4%) in 2025, according to Baseball Savant. He struck out just 13% of the time, which ranked in MLB’s 92nd percentile.
Nico Hoerner 2025 stats
Given the Cubs are signing Alex Bregman, there’s a likely chance that Hoerner is traded.
If Hoerner is dealt to the Giants, it would be a Bay Area homecoming for him. Hoerner is an Oakland native and later enrolled at Stanford University, where he played college baseball.
Hoerner, a seven-year MLB veteran, has been in the big leagues since his debut in 2019.
Last season, Hoerner had a batting average of .297 with seven home runs, 29 doubles and 61 RBIs in 156 games played. According to Baseball Savant, Hoerner ranked in MLB’s 96th percentile for batted balls (36.5%), as did Donovan. Hoerner’s whiff rate (11.2%) is in the 99th percentile in MLB. He also ranked in the 99th percentile in strikeouts (7.6%).
Latest Giants rumors and transactions
The Giants have made a couple of moves during this offseason.
San Francisco added to its bullpen, signing right-handed pitcher Tyler Mahle to a one-year deal on Jan. 5. A month before the Mahle signing, the Giants worked out a deal to bring in Adrian Houser on a two-year deal.
The Giants are looking to improve their infield and are sure to be buyers this offseason as spring training continues to slowly approach.