Contract Details Emerge on Nico Hoerner's Cubs Extension

News broke yesterday that Chicago Cubs' star second baseman Nico Hoerner agreed to a contract extension yesterday with the team.

We now know the details of the contract.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the deal is for six years and $141 million. It's the fourth-largest contract ever for a second baseman, according to Passan. It also includes deferrals, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Nico Hoerner’s deal with the Cubs is done and will be for six years and $141 million, sources tell ESPN. It’s the fourth-largest contract ever for a second baseman and locks up the 28-year-old into the 2030s. Defense, running, contact skill — Hoerner does everything well.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2026

Hoerner is entering his age-29 season and is coming off his best showing by bWAR with 6.2.

More on Hoerner's extension

As Passan said, this is the fourth-largest guarantee ever given to a second baseman. Only Robinson Cano, Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve have gotten larger contracts.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the deferrals will "take the value down to the mid-$130Ms."

This extension comes shortly after the Cubs locked up their superstar outfielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, to a six-year, $115 million deal.

As Jon reports there are deferrals that will take the current day value into the mid-$130Ms. https://t.co/Vpe4MBY6ks
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) March 27, 2026

Hoerner has become one of the best second basemen in baseball over the last few seasons. His rare blend of speed, defense and contact hitting makes him a great player.

Since 2022, Hoerner has accumulated 19.5 bWAR, making him one of the premier players in the league. While he doesn't bring much to the table with power (10 home runs is his career high), he excels at practically every other facet of the game.

Hoerner has proven himself to be one of the best defenders in baseball. He has won two Gold Glove awards in the last three seasons. In addition, Hoerner is in the 98th percentile for Outs Above Average.

So far in the 2026 season, Hoerner is 0-for-4 with a strikeout. The strikeout is a little uncharacteristic for the second baseman, who has struck out just 315 times in his previous seven seasons.

Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He carries a .282 lifetime average and has been incredibly consistent since his breakout season in 2022. His lowest average since then has been .273. In 2025, Hoerner hit .297 with a .739 OPS, getting down-ballot MVP votes.

He was expected to hit free agency after the 2026 season and was garnering serious trade interest throughout the offseason. This led fans to panic about the prospect of losing their star second baseman.

Fans will no longer need to stress as the Cubs' infield is locked in through 2029, with first baseman Michael Busch, shortstop Dansby Swanson, third baseman Alex Bregman, and now Hoerner under contract for the foreseeable future.