I think about the ending of John Carpenter's In The Mouth of Madness, where Sam Neill, who's spent the whole film in prison, basically wanders out the front door after a breakout. The whole film, we're led to believe he'll face consequences for something that wasn't his fault, and then the chaos of the film decides he won't after all, and he just sort of finds his way. That is how anyone who gets an extension this year that isn't a rookie should feel.
Nico Hoerner getting an extension is just a wild perk on the whole thing, because the guys getting locked down are the younger, more pressing guys like Konnor Griffin and Colt Emerson, or even the second or third year guys pieces like Tyler Soderstrom and Roman Anthony. And then suddenly you get Nico Hoerner signed for the next 7 or so years, solely because the Cubs have finally realized that they have one of the best all-around second basemen in the game and they don't want anyone else to have him. They were trying to move him, eventually decided not to, and...that's the right move. I think they also knew that the salary cap discussions are gonna make it difficult to do as many extensions in a year or so, and they wanted to get this in before they're limited.
Thankfully, the Cubs are looking at yet another peak year for Hoerner, who they've already, smartly, built the team around. Right now he's hitting .273 with 5 RBIs and 5 doubles, plus a 0.8 WAR. Since his age-25 season in 2022, Hoerner has locked in and become that multi-tool, Sandberg-esque infielder for the Cubs, with exceptional defensive numbers, terrific contact hitting and crucial lineup presence. I remember they brought him up painfully early in 2019 to mend an injury-addled infield, and he honestly didn't do too badly for himself, but struggled for the next few years as the team shed a number of its Maddon-era strengths. Hoerner's a very classic-feeling presence, a career .280 hitter who doesn't strike out much at all, averages 170 hits a year, and owns his position. Him not making an all-star team to this point is, quite frankly, a travesty, but considering that Ozzie Albies, Ketel Marte and Luis Arraez also play in this division I sort of get it. Hopefully this is the year.
The Cubs, by the way, have struggled to find their footing thus far, despite a better team. The main issue has been the starting pitching, as Matt Boyd and Cade Horton are both injured, Steele is already missing time, Imanaga and Taillon have struggled, and Ben Brown still seems to be not quite ready for prime time. At the very least Edward Cabrera has been very sharp, but that was the guy they got for insurance. The bullpen hasn't been much better, with really only Daniel Palencia holding things down. The heart of the lineup still hasn't fully showed up, with Bregman, PCA, Busch and Swanson still looking for consistent success. It's clear the Brewers want this division this year, and the Cubs need to find a way to oppose them, even if this start was not what they wanted.
Clearly there's a way through this, and enough constant performers like Hoerner will make it a lot easier to stomach. The injured guys will be back eventually [most of them anyway], and then hopefully this period will be long forgotten.
Coming Tomorrow- The Mets traded him for a similar veteran presence. Right now it's looking like neither team should have traded these guys.
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