Ketel Marte is pretty widely regarded as the best second baseman in MLB. In April 2025, he signed a six-year, $115 million contract through 2030 with a player option for 2031.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. has one more year of arbitration before he hits free agency in 2027. Given that he’ll be 30 years old and considering the production he’s put together recently, it’s fair to assume he’ll warrant a multi-year deal worth upwards of $100 million when the time comes.

The difference between these two and Hoerner is they are both primarily offensive weapons. Marte has hit 89 home runs since 2023, and Chisholm has hit 74. In 2025, Marte had a 145 wRC+ and Chisholm had a 126 wRC+. For comparison, Hoerner only had a 109 wRC+. 

However, Hoerner makes up for his lack of pop with a high batting average, a low strikeout rate, the ability to steal bases, and fantastic fielding that has earned him two Gold Gloves. Neither Marte nor Chisholm even has one on their résumé.

For the sake of this argument, let’s say Hoerner will be recieving a contract comparable to those two players, somewhere in the five to seven-year range with an AAV of around $18-$20 million.

After 2025, his value is the highest that it has ever been. If the Cubs are not willing to pay Hoerner that price tag, especially with the CBA expiring and a lockout looming, the best course of action could be to trade him.