Despite Opening Day disappointment, the Cubs secure their stellar second baseman, Nico Hoerner, locking him down with a significant six-year extension.
Not much went right for the Chicago Cubs in their Opening Day loss to the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon.
But there is something to be happy about following the team’s 10-4 loss to the Nationals. Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation reported that the Cubs have reached an extension agreement with second baseman Nico Hoerner.
While the full details of the deal have yet to be announced, Hoerner is here to stay in Chicago for the foreseeable future. The 28-year-old was in the final year of his contract with the Cubs and was set to become a free agent next offseason.
Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that the Cubs and Hoerner agreed to a six-year extension. That means the second baseman will not become a free agent until after the 2032 season.
Extending Hoerner before he became a free agent was almost a must for the Cubs. The North Siders couldn’t lose someone who was a 6.2-WAR player last year and does so many elite things.
Last season, Hoerner finished with a .297 batting average, seven home runs, 61 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 156 games. He also won the second Gold Glove of his career and ranked first in Outs Above Average (14), first in Runs Prevented (10), and first in Fielding Run Value (12) among all second basemen.
Hoerner has been one of the most consistent players on this Cubs team over the past few years. Although he doesn’t bring much power to the plate, his overall offensive consistency is exactly why the front office locked him down for six more years.
Since 2022, Hoerner has a .284 batting average, 33 home runs, 113 doubles, 14 triples, 232 RBI, and 123 stolen bases in 592 games. The Cubs second baseman has also accumulated a 19.6 WAR during this stretch, including finishing with above a 5.5 WAR in two of the past three seasons.
Hoerner’s extension marks the second extension that the Cubs have agreed to within the past few days. Pete Crow-Armstrong recently signed a six-year, $115 million extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2032 season.
Crow-Armstrong and Hoerner will now both become free agents after the 2032 season. Crow-Armstrong will be 30 years old, while Hoerner will be 35 years old once their contracts are up with the Cubs.
So, it’s fair to assume that this recently signed extension will be Hoerner’s last big contract in the big leagues.