The 2023 season will see the Chicago Cubs having a lot on their plate with their roster.
While the team spent money to make improvements, they still don’t have long-term deals for Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner.
With both players being key to the team’s defense, they need to work out deals for both.
They might want to do this before the 2023 season begins, as Hoerner is moving back to his original playing position at second base.
It was at this position where Hoerner was a candidate for a Gold Glove.
Congratulations to the seven Cubs nominated for a Gold Glove award this year! These seven are: Anthony Rizzo, Nico Hoerner, Javier Baez, Jason Heyward, Willson Contreras, Kyle Hendricks & Alec Mills. 🐻pic.twitter.com/yf5C5zAGod
— Cubs Zone ™️ (@CubsZone) October 22, 2020
Speaking of a Gold Glove, Happ is coming off winning his first Gold Glove in 2022.
With both players being proven defensive stars, the asking price will only increase after the season begins.
However, the Cubs might worry about Happ’s history of inconsistency.
While it’s true, 2022 showed how he turned a corner in his development as a player.
As for Hoerner, he’s a proven star throughout his career with the Cubs.
The Cubs shouldn’t worry about his 2021 season, where injuries limited him to only 44 games that season.
His 2022 season saw him playing 135 games, where he only missed a handful of games because of a right ankle sprain.
With him proving he can play out a majority of a season, the team has every reason to give him an extension.
Add in how Happ is improving at the plate and with his defense and the Cubs have more reasons to keep both players.
If the team wants to be contenders each season, keeping both players will be key in accomplishing this feat.
