Earlier this week, I asked you via the SB Nation Reacts survey which long-time Cubs player you would most like to see get a contract extension.
The result really was no surprise at all:
Nico Hoerner’s age, defensive ability and offensive consistency do call for the Cubs to keep him for a few more years. Three, maybe four — Nico turns 29 in May and it would seem to me that his skillset would maintain through his early 30s. He’s been a Cub for seven seasons and three more would make it an even decade. I hope the Cubs do sign Nico to an extension.
Which brings me to the point of why I recently posted articles about Nico, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki regarding extensions, as well as several articles regarding possible long-term deals for young Cubs players. In many cases these sorts of contracts can save teams money in the long run. A long-term deal for Pete Crow-Armstrong, for example, might wind up being cheap if PCA blossoms into the player we all think he can be. Granted, there is risk in signing a player to such an extension — injury, poor performance, etc. But there’s risk in any transaction a team makes with any player.
At this juncture in Cubs franchise history, the Cubs do not seem inclined to make these sorts of deals with players. Some other teams have, notably the Braves, and might have saved a lot of money going forward while still getting excellent production from players like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies.
The Cubs, on the other hand, have no one under contract (save team-controlled players) past 2026 except Dansby Swanson. (They might add Shōta Imanaga to that list this offseason.)
They appear to be setting themselves up for a lockout in 2027 that could cost part or all of the season. (Note that I said “could” there. When I take a position on this issue I just get flamed, so I’m just going to say it’s possible.) This is extremely short-sighted, in my opinion. Granted that if MLB cancels games in 2027, teams don’t have the resulting revenue. But they also don’t have to pay players for any such cancelled games. If Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts is serious about his “break even” comment, then that should turn out to be a wash, not “biblical losses,” as he once said regarding the 2020 season.
The Cubs should not be in “break even” mode. I am sure Tom Ricketts noticed the full houses and enthusiastic reactions during the Cubs’ five home postseason games this year. In order to have that again in 2026, the team is going to have to spend money. Period, end of story. While yes, there are teams that have been successful with less spending — in the Cubs’ division, with the Brewers, among others — it seems clear that spending money for the best players is needed to win.
So get it done, Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer. Sure, there are young players from the Cubs system who could become productive major leaguers. Owen Caissie, for example, is one of those players. But you can’t build a winner just with that.
I hope I see some major transactions for the Chicago Cubs this offseason.
SB Nation Reacts is a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the emailed surveys.