Nico Hoerner remains steady influence among all the Cubs goings-on

MESA, Ariz. - It understandably would be a time to fret with an uncertain contract status and labor situation colliding with precious time clicking on a chance to win a World Series title.

But Nico Hoerner never has been one to express concern over his matters or voice a sense of urgency.

Hoerner has been the steadiest of Cubs players in the post-Theo Epstein regime, and his perspective provides the lowest of low-maintenance entering a season filled with greater expectations.

“We have a variety of guys who are in their last guaranteed year here in Chicago,” Hoerner said. “And I think that can be an elephant in the room if you let it, or if you don't have the right personalities to handle those type of things.

“But everyone in the locker room has their own personal things that they're looking to achieve in the game and at different points and pressures in their career and families, and that's always going to be a part of baseball.

“But I think when you're a part of a bigger purpose in a group that really is focused on winning and choosing something as a group, it's easier for those individual things to to show up as well.”

Flexor tendon surgery on his right throwing forearm after the 2024 season quelled some of the speculation as to whether Hoerner would be traded. He missed the first two regular season games in Japan but rebounded to become the Cubs’ most dependable player while collecting a career-best 178 hits in addition to a .297 batting average and a second Gold Glove Award.

His .371 batting average with 51 RBIs with runners in scoring position helped offset an offense that struck out and stagnated frequently in the second half.

Trade speculation resurfaced after the Cubs signed prized free agent Alex Bregman (with the assumption Matt Shaw would move from third to second base), but Hoerner remains a vital part of the Cubs at second base with Shaw serving as a super utility player.

If Dansby Swanson was unavailable to play, manager Craig Counsell said Hoerner would take over at shortstop, “and that’s certainly important. Part of Nico’s value is that should something happen, you would be able to move him over there.”

Keeping Hoerner this winter while signing Bregman and acquiring Edward Cabrera reinforced the Cubs’ commitment to pushing well past the second round of the National League playoffs.

“Last year was very significant towards the ultimate goal of winning World Series,” Hoerner said. “I think you know when you're in the middle of it and you're fresh off of losing, all the talk of progress and all that can be a little frustrating, because all you have is the season that you're in the middle of.”

“But taking the step back in the offseason, I think there was a lot of positive to build off of from last season, and I think we're an improved group now that now is set to have a very strong season.”

Hoerner made his major league debut in September of 2019, when the Cubs were in the midst of a slide that knocked them out of playoff contention.

Since then, Hoerner has a better understanding of what’s at stake, especially after experiencing the collective disappointment of falling to the rival Brewers in the NL Division Series last October.

“I think in order to really appreciate the playoff chase, and obviously playoff baseball, part of what makes it so special is the course of the whole season and the arc of the different storylines of the year, and obviously being close with guys,” said Hoerner, who is in the final year of a three-year, $35 million contract.

“So when you get called up at the end of the year there's definitely not the awareness of that. it was very obvious immediately, just the passion that Cubs fans have and how much it means to them, and that side of it has always been very clear.”