CHICAGO \u2014 Tucked away in the corner of the fourth floor of the Sheraton Riverwalk, Jed Hoyer and Nico Hoerner tried to find a quiet place to talk.<\/p>\n
It was the opening night of the Cubs Convention, so that wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n
Hoyer, the Cubs\u2019 president of baseball operations, had just signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a blockbuster five-year, $175 million deal. Because of payroll and roster logistics, Hoerner, who was entering his walk year, was knee-deep in trade rumors.<\/p>\n
So with that lingering uncertainty, the two had a long chat outside of the room where the Cubs and their families were partying after the opening ceremonies of the fan convention.<\/p>\n
I should know because I watched it happen. So did several other reporters who were waiting to talk to new Cubs Hall of Famer Jon Lester. Hoerner\u2019s situation was a juicy storyline in January, and while it wouldn\u2019t have made baseball sense to trade Hoerner after a win-now signing like Bregman, Hoyer had been operating under a fairly strict budget, so no one could be sure.<\/p>\n
So what did they talk about?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe details of that conversation I would leave to us,\u201d Hoyer told me the other day, \u201cbut the gist of it was like, hey, we\u2019d love to sign you, and we were gonna be talking to Adam (Karon, Hoerner\u2019s agent). Just because we made that signing, we\u2019re not looking to trade you. Actually, we would love to sign you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two months later, Hoyer did just that, agreeing with Hoerner on a six-year, $141 million extension<\/a>. Not bad money for a guy with 36 career home runs in 702 games going into the season. And Hoerner\u2019s deal \u2014 announced not long after Pete Crow-Armstrong\u2019s extension \u2014 was universally celebrated in Chicago.<\/p>\n For one, it symbolized that the Cubs weren\u2019t going cheap, which had been the franchise\u2019s dominant storyline for years after the 2021 fire sale that officially ended the World Series era. For another, everyone loved the deal because, well, everyone loves Nico.<\/p>\n Players, fans, teammates. Everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to put into words how deserving he is,\u201d Hoerner\u2019s double-play partner, Dansby Swanson, told The Athletic\u2019s Ken Rosenthal in April<\/a>.<\/p>\n Crow-Armstrong has star power, and Bregman has a bigger name, but Hoerner, who debuted as a late-season fill-in for Javy B\u00e1ez in 2019, has developed into this era\u2019s Anthony Rizzo, the guy who embodies the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a really talented player, and he does so many things on the field to help you win,\u201d Hoyer said. \u201cBut on top of that, he\u2019s an A-plus human with A-plus competitiveness. You get the talent, which I think everyone sees, but also he is just the kind of person you want on your team and in an organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Or to put more succinctly:<\/p>\n \u201cHe is the Cubs,\u201d Crow-Armstrong told me last Friday. \u201cHe is our f\u2014ing heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n A few weeks ago, Crow-Armstrong told a TV reporter that Hoerner was his favorite player. So I asked him to elaborate.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m luckier than most because I get to be around him every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Crow-Armstrong, 24, said some of the reasons he looks up to Hoerner, who turns 29 this month, are because of his intentionality and his preparation. Hoerner is a guy who shows up to work, and his teammates respect it. But beyond that, the two-time Gold Glove winner is just an aesthetically appealing ballplayer.<\/p>\n \u201cI think for someone that is looking to find some consistency in their baseball life, he\u2019s the perfect model of that,\u201d Crow-Armstrong said. \u201cBut you can\u2019t not love the way that he\u2019s just all-around. He\u2019s exciting on defense, he\u2019s exciting at the plate, you want him on base because he\u2019s going to run the pillows. He just literally does everything f\u2014ing right.\u201d<\/p>\n The Cubs are no strangers to signing players for defense and intangibles, having paid Jason Heyward $184 million and Swanson $177 million in the last decade. Bregman\u2019s leadership and intensity were part of his pay package as well.<\/p>\n But Hoerner\u2019s deal was eye-opening, even for him.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it changes how I see myself,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought it was interesting from the standpoint of what can be valued in our sport. I guess probably coming into this whole thing, just as a professional. I didn\u2019t think a contract like that would necessarily be possible without a big change in my game, obviously, toward more power and things like that. Our tradition is valued, but yeah \u2026 so it is fine to be able to reach things like that by being myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoerner is so well-regarded that his deal has the fourth-highest amount of guaranteed money for a second baseman. The Cubs are a data-driven organization, so that influences their regard for him, but then there are plays like the one he made in Los Angeles on the team\u2019s recent road trip, where he fielded a ricochet with his bare hand while in the air and made a throw to first for an out.<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s NL Player of the Week makes this week\u2019s Play of the Week \ud83e\udd29<\/p>\n Nico Hoerner can do it all! pic.twitter.com\/oZ94sAnYQl<\/a><\/p>\n