Cubs prove how cheap they are with Nico Hoerner decision

The Chicago Cubs decided to think with their wallets instead of their eyes by optioning second baseman Nico Hoerner to Triple-A to start the 2021 MLB season.

Nico Hoerner should have made the Cubs Opening Day roster, but the franchise he plays for is shamelessly cheap these days.

Hoerner was the best second baseman in spring training for the Cubs. However, by sending him down to Triple-A for 36 days, the Cubs will get an extra year of control over him when it comes to service time.

While David Bote, Eric Sogard and Ildemaro Vargas had a quality spring training too, Hoerner had an OPS of 1.052 this spring and was a Gold Glove finalist a season ago.

Hoerner will be back, probably as soon as the service time issue is in the rear-view mirror. Cubs manager David Ross said the issue to send Hoerner down wasn’t so much about him, but rather about the play of Bote who will be the team’s starter.

Nico Hoerner should have made the Chicago Cubs Opening Day roster for 2021

If Chicago gets off to a slow start out of the gate, baseball fans could point to the penny-pinching Cubs for keeping one of their very best prospects down simply to save money. When you try to cut corners in any industry, you are bound to get burned. After making one bad decision after another with seemingly no consequence the last few seasons, this is just par for the course for the Cubs.

Entering the 2021 MLB season, the Cubs are one of three teams who have a legitimate shot at winning the NL Central. The Cubs may have won it a year ago, but the arch-rival St. Louis Cardinals had a great offseason by trading for third baseman Nolan Arenado. We also have to recognize the Milwaukee Brewers as an incredibly feisty team that never seems to go away under Craig Counsell.

Keep an eye out on the karmic implications to stem from the Cubs banishing Hoerner to Iowa.