The Chicago Cubs have watched Nico Hoerner develop into a quality major league player. Now they want to keep him on board.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Monday the Cubs have reached agreement with Hoerner on a three-year, $35 million extension.
The 25-year-old second baseman would have been eligible for free agency in 2026, but this deal pushes that back a year. It’s a hefty raise from the $2.53 million he will earn this season.
Hoerner, the Cubs No. 1 pick (No 24 overall) in 2018, has developed into a solid contributor for Chicago. He started 133 games at shortstop last season, but is moving over to second following the arrival of Dansby Swanson. He slashed .281/.327/.410 in 2022 with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases, posting a WAR of 4.4, according to Baseball Reference.
Most baseball fans — and especially Cubs fans — approved of the move.
Only buys out one year of free agency, but better than nothing. They can reevaluate how that’s all looking in a few years. If Nico enters that time still looking like the player he is now, obviously you’d like to try to keep him around longer.
— Matt Clapp (@TheBlogfines) March 28, 2023
Good, Nico is a star! #Cubs
— Patrick Mahan (@patrickmahan) March 28, 2023