Will star second baseman Nico Hoerner stay in Chicago? An insider reveals the Cubs' plan to negotiate a deal before the season begins.
All Chicago Cubs fans want to know what’s going to happen with second baseman Nico Hoerner.
Hoerner is in the final year of his deal with the Cubs and is set to hit free agency next offseason. That has resulted in his name popping up in trade rumors. Teams like the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox have been linked to him recently.
Ideally, though, the Cubs would like to re-sign Hoerner to keep him in Chicago for the foreseeable future. He has become a fan favorite and continues to put up strong all-around numbers.
In 2025, Hoerner had the best season of his career. He hit .297 with seven home runs, 29 doubles, 61 RBI, and 29 stolen bases across 156 games. His .297 average ranked second in the National League, and his 178 hits ranked sixth in the Majors.
Hoerner also played exceptional defense at second base. He won the second Gold Glove of his career and finished first among all second basemen in Fielding Run Value, Outs Above Average, and Runs Prevented.
He’s a player the Cubs simply can’t let get away. Hoerner is too important to the future of this team and brings so much to the table that he is almost irreplaceable in today’s game.
So, what’s the latest on the Cubs and Hoerner?
We got some insight from ESPN reporter Jesse Rogers, who appeared on Waddle and Silvy last week to discuss the Cubs’ offseason moves.
“They will approach him,” Rogers said. “I do not know if a deal will get done. They will certainly in their back of their mind have some leverage knowing that Shaw can just take over at second in a year. So, it’ll be a negotiation. We’ll see where it goes.”
Rogers doesn’t say much about Hoerner's future with the Cubs. But he does say that the front office will approach him this spring to discuss an extension.
Getting a deal done before the season begins would be a huge win by the front office. The team would be able to lock up its star second baseman for the next few years, which would ensure that Hoerner is not going anywhere.
However, it sounds like Rogers doesn’t really know if a deal will get done before Opening Day. Earlier in his appearance, Rogers said getting a deal done might be hard because it could be a “difficult number” to get to based on last year.
The good news, though, is that it appears the Cubs will be having talks with Hoerner this spring. So, there is a chance the team signs him to a extension before the season begins. It all depends on if the two sides can agree on a new deal.