Chicago, IL (AP) – Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has agreed to a six-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal, marking another major commitment for the franchise.

The person spoke to the AP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical.

The long-term contract for Hoerner comes after All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong agreed to a $115 million, six-year deal. The Cubs announced Crow-Armstrong’s contract after Thursday’s 10-4 loss to Washington on opening day.

The 28-year-old Hoerner was selected in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Stanford University. He is at the beginning of his last season under a $35 million, three-year contract that was finalized in March 2023.

Hoerner was a key performer last year as Chicago won 92 games and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He batted .297 with seven homers, 61 RBIs and 29 steals in a career-best 156 games. He also won his second Gold Glove.

Asked about his contract situation before the opener against the Nationals, Hoerner provided no indication that a new deal was on the way.

“The priority is on today and this season and making the most of that,” he said. “I think the Cubs are gonna have incredibly strong teams for years to come, and it’s an incredible place to play. I think looking around the locker room right now though, it’s like for anyone looking past this year, whether you’re signed here or not, it’s taking away from what we have right in front of us right now, which is a really special opportunity.”

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer also stayed quiet when asked about Hoerner and contract talks during the season.

“I think that all those things are personal, both keeping the negotiations in the organization, but like guys have preferences,” Hoyer said. “You know some guys feel like they want to focus on the season and put it behind them, and some guys are willing to sort of have their agents have those conversations. Obviously, the player wants to disclose that, that’s up to him, but I think it’s not my place to talk about that.”

Hoerner made his major league debut in September 2019, hitting .282 with three homers and 17 RBIs in 20 games down the stretch. He had a breakout performance in 2022, when he batted .281 with 10 homers, 55 RBIs and 20 steals in 135 games.

Hoerner, who won his first Gold Glove in 2023, is a .282 hitter with 36 homers, 278 RBIs and 131 steals in 705 career games.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb