Chicago Cubs agree to 6-year extension with second baseman Nico Hoerner on Opening Day 2026, keeping the Gold Glove defender in Chicago through 2032. Deal follows Pete Crow-Armstrong extension.

The Chicago Cubs moved quickly to secure another key piece of their core, agreeing to a six-year contract extension with second baseman Nico Hoerner just hours after their 10-4 Opening Day loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.

The deal, which is pending a physical, keeps the 28-year-old infielder under club control through the 2032 season and removes him from free agency after the current campaign. Financial terms were not immediately disclosed.

Hoerner was entering the final season of a three-year, $35 million extension he signed ahead of the 2023 season. A first-round pick (24th overall) out of Stanford in 2018, he has developed into one of the National League’s most reliable defenders and steady leadoff hitters.

Over seven major-league seasons, all with the Cubs, Hoerner owns a career .282/.340/.384 slash line with 36 home runs, 128 doubles, 278 RBIs, and 131 stolen bases. He has earned Gold Glove consideration multiple times and is widely regarded for his baseball IQ, leadership, and consistency at the keystone.

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The extension comes on the heels of the Cubs locking up center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to a long-term deal earlier in the week. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has now committed two young building blocks to the organization well into the next decade as Chicago aims for sustained contention in the NL Central.

Hoerner has been praised for his clubhouse presence and work ethic. He joins shortstop Dansby Swanson as a long-term middle-infield anchor for manager Craig Counsell.

The timing provided a much-needed bright spot after the Cubs’ disappointing season-opening defeat. The team is expected to make the extension official in the coming days once the physical is completed.