Chicago Cubs have a Rookie of the Year candidate in Nico Hoerner

After stepping in late in the year, Nico Hoerner could play a huge role for the Chicago Cubs in 2020 – perhaps emerging as a Rookie of the Year candidate.

This was never the plan. Nico Hoerner, the team’s first-round pick from the 2018 draft, was yet to play a game at Triple-A Iowa when the Cubs called him up to fill in at shortstop. With both Javier Baez and Addison Russell sidelined, the team had no other option as they tried to will their way to the postseason for a fifth consecutive season.

Hoerner, even now just 22 years of age, did everything he could to get the club across the finish line. He hit .282 on the year and in his first six big league games, he drove in three or more runs three times. With Chicago looking to shake up the roster heading into 2020, many have pondered Hoerner’s role moving forward.

Baez will return to shortstop in 2020 and could be cemented at the position for the long haul, especially if the Cubs are able to work out an extension with the sweet-swinging superstar. He’ll need a double play partner up the middle, though – which is where Hoerner could spend the majority of his time.

With no money to address a position where they got virtually no production in 2019, Chicago may very well have to look for internal answers at second. David Bote seems like a logical option, along with Ian Happ. But there’s no guarantee either of those guys aren’t dealt in the next two months – which could leave the Cubs asking a lot of Hoerner sooner rather than later.

Chicago Cubs: Hoerner could be a difference-maker next season

If the Cubs are going to compete in the National League Central, they’ll need Hoerner to play a big role. There are too many questions without him in the mix. That’s not to say he’ll open the year on the 26-man roster, but he’ll spend the majority of the year in Chicago, regardless of what the front office has said.

“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Theo Epstein said earlier this month. “I think you could make strong arguments on both sides, whether he should be part of the club on Opening Day or a little bit more seasoning [in the minors]. I think a lot will depend on what else we do and yeah, sure, what type of spring training you have might be a factor as well. We’re not at the point where we’re ready to make that decision yet, but we’re open-minded.”

In the final months of the offseason, we could very well see several integral parts of the team’s core shipped out via trade. If the ongoing grievance filed on behalf of Kris Bryant is ever resolved, he could be an incredibly valuable chip, as well as catcher Willson Contreras. Seeing the team unload someone like Jose Quintana could also help the Cubs reload, especially with the lack of options on the free agent market.

Hoerner is nowhere near the odds-favorite to bring home the National League Rookie of the Year honors next fall. But he’s got the tools and the ability to do all the little things that, when you grind over the course of 162 games, could translate to some eye-popping numbers. But before we get there, we’ll need a clearer picture of what the Cubs look like heading into 2020.