OPINION: Chicago Cubs' Next Order of Business Should be Extending Nico Hoerner

After signing free agents Trey Mancini, Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger and Eric Hosmer, the Chicago Cubs should now shift their focus to signing middle infielder Nico Hoerner to a long-term extension, Jack Vita writes.

The Chicago Cubs have had a very active offseason.

Though the club has not made any major trades, it did sign free agents Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Drew Smyly, Cody Bellinger, Tucker Barnhart, Trey Mancini, Eric Hosmer and Brad Boxberger. 

The Cubs are coming off a 74-win season. With their new additions, the club hopes to compete in a what appears to be a rather weak National League Central division.

Now that the Cubs have filled out most of their roster, the front office should shift its focus to locking up its best player, for the foreseeable future: Nico Hoerner.

In his first full season as the club's primary shortstop, Hoerner led the club in Wins Above Replacement (4.0). He placed second among National League shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved with 10. Hoerner broke out in his age-25 season in 2022, batting .281 with 20 stolen bases and ten home runs.

Last week, Hoerner and the Cubs agreed to terms on a $2,535,000 contract for the 2023 season, avoiding arbitration. Hoerner will move back to second base in 2023, where it appears he will stay at for the foreseeable future, after the club signed shortstop Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million contract last month.

While other teams continue to spend big on free agents to assemble their roster, the Atlanta Braves have found a much more formidable, cost-effective model. The Braves have now signed each and all of Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider and Sean Murphy to seven-plus year extensions.

The Braves have won the National League East for the last five seasons, and show no signs of disappearing anytime soon. Their core is locked up for the next several years.

Extending players early allows clubs to provide financial security to potential stars at a very young age. Ronald Acuna signed an eight-year, $100 million contract with the club at the start of the 2019 Major League season. Acuna probably won't ever sign a contract akin to the nine-year, $360 million deal Aaron Judge received from the New York Yankees this past winter, but he guaranteed a very nice sum of money for himself, that should have him set for life. He doesn't have to worry about his next contract; not for a while at least. He doesn't have to worry about his financial future if he were to sustain career-threatening injuries. He can just go out and play.

Signing an extension early in ones career is an attractive option to a lot of young players. However, the longer a club waits, and the sooner the player gets to free agency, the higher the price tag goes up.

Hoerner has three years of club control left before he would hit free agency after the 2025 season. The Cubs should soon engage in extension talks with Hoerner.

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