The Chicago Cubs are staring down a pivotal decision with one of their cornerstone players - and the clock is ticking. Nico Hoerner, the steady, glove-first infielder who’s become a key part of the Cubs’ core, is set to hit free agency after the 2026 season. And while on the surface it might feel like a no-brainer to keep him around long-term, contract negotiations in baseball are rarely that simple - especially when you consider the market he's about to enter.
Hoerner’s looming free agency comes into sharper focus after Ha-Seong Kim’s recent deal with the Atlanta Braves. Kim - a defensive standout who missed most of the 2025 season following shoulder surgery - still managed to land a one-year, $20 million contract with Atlanta after opting out of his previous deal.
That’s a hefty payday for a player who only appeared in 48 games last season and posted a .649 OPS with an 82 wRC+. But Kim’s defensive track record speaks volumes, and teams are willing to pay for elite gloves up the middle.
Kim’s journey from the KBO to MLB began in 2021 with the Padres, where he quickly earned a reputation as one of the best defenders in the game - a claim backed by a Gold Glove in 2023. He’s been a Swiss Army knife in the field, logging time at shortstop, second base, and third, and doing it all with above-average defensive metrics.
Across his MLB career, Kim has racked up 22 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at shortstop, 15 at second, and 8 at third. At the plate, he’s been more of a complementary piece - a career 99 wRC+ hitter, with his best offensive year coming in 2023 (.260/.351/.398, 17 HR, 110 wRC+).
So what does this mean for Hoerner?
Well, for starters, he’s younger than Kim and arguably more complete. While Hoerner has settled into second base over the past three seasons, don’t be surprised if he markets himself as a shortstop when he hits free agency.
He’s done it before - in 2022, he made 128 starts at short and ranked third in the National League in Defensive Runs Saved (10) and second in Outs Above Average (13). Since then, he’s turned second base into his personal trophy case, winning Gold Gloves in back-to-back seasons.
And he’s not just glove-first - Hoerner’s bat has evolved into a real asset. In 2025, he hit .297 in the regular season and then caught fire in October, slashing .419 in the postseason. That kind of performance under the bright lights doesn’t go unnoticed.
Let’s take a look at his fWAR over the past four seasons:
Nico Hoerner fWAR, 2022-2025:
- 2022: 135 games, 4.3 fWAR
- 2023: 150 games, 4.5 fWAR
- 2024: 151 games, 3.9 fWAR
- 2025: 156 games, 4.8 fWAR
That’s consistency - and growth. Hoerner’s trending up at the right time, especially compared to Kim, whose fWAR numbers - while solid - don’t quite reach the same level:
Ha-Seong Kim fWAR, 2021-2024:
- 2021: 117 games, 0.4 fWAR
- 2022: 150 games, 3.6 fWAR
- 2023: 152 games, 4.2 fWAR
- 2024: 121 games, 2.6 fWAR
Kim’s value is still strong, particularly on defense, but Hoerner offers more offensive upside and has shown he can handle the spotlight of postseason play. That’s a compelling case when you’re entering free agency.
Now, let’s talk about the competition. The middle infield free agent class after the 2026 season isn’t exactly overflowing with elite options. Here’s a look at the names set to hit the market:
Second Base:
- Ozzie Albies (30) - $7M club option
- Jazz Chisholm Jr. (29)
- Mauricio Dubon (32)
- Luis Garcia Jr.
(27)
- Nico Hoerner (30)
- Jonathan India (30)
- Brandon Lowe (32)
- Gavin Lux (29)
- Nick Madrigal (30)
- Amed Rosario (31)
- Gleyber Torres (30)
Shortstop:
- J.P.
Crawford (32)
- Mauricio Dubon (32)
- Ha-Seong Kim (31)
- Kevin Newman (33)
That’s not exactly a murderer’s row. Outside of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Hoerner may be the only middle infielder in that group who brings a true two-way impact. And with the scarcity of elite shortstops on the market, you can bet he’ll be positioning himself for a shortstop-level contract - even if he’s been playing second base.
He’ll be 29 when he hits the open market, and a five-year, $100 million deal feels like the floor for a player of his caliber. That’s the kind of contract that reflects both his current production and his projection moving forward. The question is, will that deal come from the Cubs?
The front office has already locked up Dansby Swanson through 2029, and Matt Shaw - one of the organization’s top infield prospects - is under team control through 2032. That creates a bit of a positional logjam, but it also raises a bigger question: Can the Cubs afford to let Hoerner walk?
Because if they don’t extend him before he hits the market, they risk losing not just a Gold Glove defender or a .300 hitter - they risk losing a homegrown leader who’s helped reshape the identity of this team.
The time to act is now. The Cubs have the resources, and they have the motivation.
What they need is the urgency. Because if Nico Hoerner reaches free agency, there’s going to be a long line of teams ready to pay him like a shortstop - and they won’t be shy about it.