Cade Horton’s future with Cubs might hinge on copying this team’s move

As much as Chicago Cubs fans may not want to admit it, the Milwaukee Brewers have another homegrown ace. Jacob Misiorowski has taken the league by storm, including being named as Matthew Boyd's replacement for the National League in the All-Star game earlier this week. It was a historic decision to name Misiorowski to the All-Star game, and it seems that the Milwaukee Brewers are already working on a contract with their young phenom.

Depending on the contract, if the two sides do eventually agree to terms, it could be a deal that establishes a precedent for teams in a similar position. This isn't uncommon territory for the Brewers. It was in 2023 that the Brewers agreed to a record deal with Jackson Chourio. Chourio signed an 8-year deal with the Brewers worth $82MM, and at the time, it was the largest deal for a player who had yet to have Major League experience.

Five starts into his Major League career, Misiorowski has been as advertised, posting a 2.81 ERA while striking out over 33 percent of the batters he has faced. Sure, perhaps not worthy of an All-Star selection already, but certainly a reminder for the Brewers of how to keep their model successful--extending their core players before they reach their arbitration seasons.

Rival’s extension strategy is exactly what Cubs should do with Cade Horton

The Brewers, with Misioroski, are doing something that the Pittsburgh Pirates should have made a priority when Paul Skenes made his debut last season. Had the Pirates signed Skenes to an early extension, chances are the whispers of a potential trade wouldn't even make the rounds this season. Nevertheless, the Brewers are aware of that fact, and so should the Cubs.

The Cubs should be having early extension talks with Cade Horton's representatives. Horton hasn't had the same immediate success as Misiorowski has had with the Brewers, but it seems clear that he is on the trajectory toward being at the top of the Cubs' rotation in the coming seasons.

An extension with Horton likely would fall quite short of a potential new deal for Misiorowski, but for a Cubs team that loves to have cost certainty, the move should be considered in the coming weeks, if not, in the offseason.

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