You knew it was coming. In the question-and-answer session with the media assembled for Alex Bregman's introductory press conference Thursday morning, Jed Hoyer was asked about both Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner - both of whom, to varying degrees, have been mentioned in speculative trade rumors over the better part of the last week.
Surprising to no one, Hoyer didn't touch the question with a ten-foot pole, with nothing but good things to say about Hoerner but didn't give any real commitment on roles or those rumors. When asked about Shaw, the Cubs' president of baseball operations hit the nail right on the head, more or less saying that Shaw is a talented player and versatility is important in today's game.