Nico Extended

[Derwood]

[Derwood]

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2026/03/26/nico-hoerner-extension/

[Jason Ross]

6 years

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

There's the confirmation from Passan.

 

Edited March 26 by Tangled Up in Plaid

[cl smooth]

horny for hoerner

[Bertz]

WOW

Matt Shaw better get a whole lot better in the outfield or he's not long for this city

Probably only room for one of Ramirez/Rojas/Triantos too

[Rex Buckingham]

Let's hope Shaw hits well as a super sub, then can be traded for an OF bat in the offseason (or proves good enough in the OF to give him a job out there)

[cl smooth]

poor tom ricketts is now fiscally conservative tom ricketts

[Rex Buckingham]

1 minute ago, Bertz said:

WOW

Matt Shaw better get a whole lot better in the outfield or he's not long for this city

Probably only room for one of Ramirez/Rojas/Triantos too

Ramirez and Triantos are likely bench bats at best for what we hope they Cubs will be

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Question now is are they trying to extend Seiya or Happ. Assuming it would one or the other.

[UMFan83]

I'm happier about this extension than I am PCA's, mostly because of all the news about shopping him the last 2 offseasons, I was worried they didn't value him as much as I did.  This is awesome.

[chibears55]

11 minutes ago, Bertz said:

WOW

Matt Shaw better get a whole lot better in the outfield or he's not long for this city

Probably only room for one of Ramirez/Rojas/Triantos too

Shaw is gonna be a Bote type for this team, not quite good enough to be a full time starter but a capable bench bat.

Also at the very least, he'll be a decent trade piece

 

[UMFan83]

7 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Question now is are they trying to extend Seiya or Happ. Assuming it would one or the other.

Meh.  I like both players but Seiya will be 32 after this year, gets injured a lot, has issues defensively.  I think we can at least shop for a better long term bat and take our chances with him hitting FA.  If he's willing to accept a 2-3 year extension I'd definitely consider it.  Happ will also be 32 (I was today year's old when I realized their birthdays are 6 days apart!) and solid all around but not as good of a hitter as Seiya.  If his bat declines much it might be rough over the next couple of years.

Again, I wouldn't be against either of them being back next year (or whenever they play baseball again after this season),but I don't think extending either is a no brainer either.

[UMFan83]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

Shaw is gonna be a Bote type for this team, not quite good enough to be a full time starter but a capable bench bat.

Also at the very least, he'll be a decent trade piece

 

I think other teams will value him higher than we do.  I don't think he's a utility type bat, others will see his age and top 30 prospect pedigree and see him as a potential cornerstone piece, whereas we're already locked in at 3B, SS and 2B and his OF work remains to be seen.

[chibears55]

This is great news

So right now, for the next 3 seasons (27-29) the Cubs are set with...

Amaya, Busch, Hoerner,  Swanson,  Bregman, PCA, and Ballesteros 

Not a bad group to build around 

 

 

[chibears55]

4 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

I think other teams will value him higher than we do.  I don't think he's a utility type bat, others will see his age and top 30 prospect pedigree and see him as a potential cornerstone piece, whereas we're already locked in at 3B, SS and 2B and his OF work remains to be seen.

Hope so, would be awesome if they can get a good pitching prospect for him for next season. 

[chibears55]

20 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Question now is are they trying to extend Seiya or Happ. Assuming it would one or the other.

I'd pass on them...

Both will turn 33 next season, hopefully Alcantara can take that next step up this season and if not in FA, they can trade for a solid OFer.

[Stratos]

27 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Question now is are they trying to extend Seiya or Happ. Assuming it would one or the other.

Weird thing is we don't really know when these deals were actually completed.  I think Nico's was done before today and they delayed announcing until after the Opening Day game so as to not distract from the game/festivities.  Other deals could possibly be done as well and they're slow-rolling them, who knows.

I love me some Happ, but if I were to choose I go with Seiya on an extension, we need to slug and I think he still has a bit of upside, I think he can have a 4 WAR year in him if healthy, avoids the usual extended slump, and plays RF all year over DH.

[JHBulls]

After the pain and anguish of losing Opening Day, this is good news. 

[Stratos]

6 years.  That's a lot but i'm good with it, through age 34.

[Post Count Padder]

Heck yeah! That's one way to make us forget about the loss. This was an important move.

I think if they extend Happ or Seiya it will be Happ, in part because he's been a glue guy and will take less money to stay. Seiya is great but gets injured a lot and will command more as a power hitting RFer.

[Stratos]

11 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

I'd pass on them...

Both will turn 33 next season, hopefully Alcantara can take that next step up this season and if not in FA, they can trade for a solid OFer.

Always thought it made the Caissie trade a bit odd for 2027+.  Ideally i'd pass on both too, but we may not have that luxury, though with Nico locked up a trade is possible.  If not Shaw then maybe Rojas.  INF is now locked in longterm.  I don't hate having a good player like Shaw on the bench.  Guys get injured, he'll get his PA's like Zobrist did.

[chibears55]

6 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Always thought it made the Caissie trade a bit odd for 2027+.  Ideally i'd pass on both too, but we may not have that luxury, though with Nico locked up a trade is possible.  If not Shaw then maybe Rojas.  INF is now locked in longterm.  I don't hate having a good player like Shaw on the bench.  Guys get injured, he'll get his PA's like Zobrist did.

They may have been banking on Conrad to make a serious jump before his injury, and hoped for Alcantara to do the same, or at least have one of the two to be that guy for 2027.

It a long shot for who available at pick 26, but they can also draft an outfielder there who can possibly make that jump to the big league at some point in 2027 if Conrad or Alcantara aren't ready to be that guy for them.

[Stratos]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

They may have been banking on Conrad to make a serious jump before his injury, and hoped for Alcantara to do the same, or at least have one of the two to be that guy for 2027.

It a long shot for who available at pick 26, but they can also draft an outfielder there who can possibly make that jump to the big league at some point in 2027 if Conrad or Alcantara aren't ready to be that guy for them.

Hard to see them counting on Conrad even if he were healthy all year.  Possible but can't count on a guy who doesn;t have any pro ABs.  Maybe Kepley would be ready, he could compete with Alcantara.

[Jason Ross]

4 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

They may have been banking on Conrad to make a serious jump before his injury, and hoped for Alcantara to do the same, or at least have one of the two to be that guy for 2027.

It a long shot for who available at pick 26, but they can also draft an outfielder there who can possibly make that jump to the big league at some point in 2027 if Conrad or Alcantara aren't ready to be that guy for them.

They're not counting on a 2025 1st round draft pick who missed most of the year with an injury to speed run MiLB in one year to start in 2027...