Cubs, Hoerner reach agreement on 6-year extension (source)

CHICAGO -- Nico Hoerner stood at his locker inside the Cubs’ clubhouse on Thursday morning, fielding questions about Opening Day, the high expectations for the season ahead and the news of center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s long-term extension.

The conversation with the veteran second baseman soon turned to his own future with the Cubs -- the only organization he has known. Hoerner skillfully navigated around the topic, pinning the focus on this year and the team’s World Series aspirations.

It was not long after Chicago’s 10-4 loss to the Nationals at Wrigley Field when news broke that Hoerner was on the cusp of a new contract, as well. Per a source, the Cubs were in agreement with Hoerner on a six-year extension, pending a physical, and would likely announce the deal during the coming weekend.

“I think the Cubs are going to have incredibly strong teams for years to come,” Hoerner said before the game. “It’s an incredible place to play. I think looking around the locker room right now, for anyone to look past this year -- whether you’re signed here or not -- is taking away from what we have right in front of us right now, which is a really special opportunity.”

The Cubs have not confirmed the deal and the financial terms were not immediately known.

Chicago picked Hoerner out of Stanford in the first round (24th overall) in 2018 and he was the first player from that Draft class to reach the Major Leagues when he debuted the following year. Over the past seven seasons, he has not only grown into one of the game’s elite defenders, but has become arguably the heart and soul of Chicago’s core.

Hoerner has turned into the kind of veteran voice that does not necessarily speak up often, but the words carry weight when he does. He is a tireless worker behind the scenes and has embraced his particular offensive traits en route to becoming one of baseball’s best contact bats.

“Nico can grow. I think Nico can be better,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said early Thursday. “And I really am optimistic he’s going to be better. Nico’s skill-set, Nico’s going to make contact. I think Nico still has the ability to drive the ball a little more, and that’s in a good place and really ready to show up.

“But I want Nico to be himself. And he’s going to be himself and just go take his at-bat and do good things in the mold of how he does it.”

Last season, the 28-year-old Hoerner finished second to Trea Turner in the National League batting race, ending with a .297 average. He was one of the hardest players in baseball to strike out (49 strikeouts in 649 plate appearances), posting a 7.6% strikeout rate that ranked third in the Majors among qualified hitters.

Hoerner had an 89.8% contact rate in 2025 and used that skill to turn in a solid all-around showing in the batter’s box. He ended with a .345 on-base percentage and a .394 slugging percentage, and improved as the year wore on. Hoerner had a .476 slugging percentage in his final 30 games last year, and then hit at a .419 clip (13-for-31) with a .973 OPS in Chicago’s eight playoff games.

“I slugged more in the second half,” Hoerner said during Spring Training. “But it didn’t come from swinging harder or doing stuff that’s outside of my skill-set as it is. I just felt like I had a better understanding of how I was moving, and I’m excited to build on that.”

Hoerner finished with seven home runs, 29 doubles, four triples, 61 RBIs and 29 stolen bases for the Cubs last year, while putting up 6.2 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference). That not only led the team in 2025, but was the highest bWAR for a Cubs position player since 2019 (6.7 by Javier Báez) and the most for a primary Cubs second baseman since 1992 (7.8 by Ryne Sandberg).

Part of the equation for Hoerner -- a two-time Gold Glover (‘23 and ‘25) at second base -- is his top-tier defensive ability. His +13 fielding run value last year was tied for the seventh-highest mark among all positions and his 15 outs above average was tied for the fifth-most overall. Only Andrés Gimenez (48) and Marcus Semien (41) have more OAA at second base than Hoerner (35) over the 2023-25 seasons combined.

This is the second time Hoerner has signed an extension with the Cubs, following the three-year, $35 million pact he signed ahead of Opening Day in 2023. The second baseman was poised for free agency after this year, but he opted to remain in the fold as a leader for a team hoping to get back to the World Series.

“We’ve been fortunate to play as a group for a while,” Hoerner said this spring. “And I think that just creates excitement. You don’t get to share a locker room, a consistent core, a lot in the big leagues. So to have that opportunity to have gotten better, and to now be in a place where we can really seize that opportunity, is super exciting.”