First year of Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ extensions brought solid results for the Cubs

With the exception of Kyle Hendricks, it had been years since the Chicago Cubs extended a homegrown player. We watched name after name run out the clock on the North Side or wind up on the block - that is, until Jed Hoyer extended not one, but two guys, early this spring in Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner.

Happ, fresh off his breakout 2022 campaign that saw him earn his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove in left field, landed an extension that bought out his final year of arbitration and then three more years, running through 2026. Hoerner, a key piece of the team's plans to field an elite defense up the middle, also got an extension running through 2026 - meaning we'll get at least three more years of Hoerner alongside Dansby Swanson turning two.

Cubs got quality production from both Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner

So after years of not extending guys, how did year 1 of the Happ and Hoerner deals play out? Quite well, with Hoerner finishing the year at 4.9 fWAR and Happ at 3.5 fWAR. The former swiped a career-high 43 bases, also setting personal bests in doubles, RBI and hits, appearing in all but a dozen of the Cubs' games this year.

Meanwhile, Happ actually improved upon his numbers from 2022 in some regards, playing in 158 contests for the second consecutive season and raising his OPS by 10 points. His 84 RBI trailed only Cody Bellinger on the Cubs roster - and he drew nearly 40 more walks while striking out just four more times year-over-year.

Neither Hoerner nor Happ are going to be 'the' guy on a World Series contender. But they're absolutely integral cogs in the machine, able to impact the game in multiple ways and help turn the lineup over. You'd like to see Happ bounce back defensively in 2024 after most metrics graded him poorly this summer, but all in all, a solid body of work from both guys.

Perhaps the early returns on these deals will help assuage the front office's fears over, or at least aversion to, extensions for young guys. Namely on the pitching side with Justin Steele and Adbert Alzolay, there could be opportunities to lock some guys up and gain some cost certainty moving forward. Don't overlook that possibility heading into an offseason that's sure to be full of movement for a Cubs team that came just short of October baseball this year.