Mark Grote

that the Cubs had.

They had a lot of news, whether it was Pete Crow Armstrong officially talking on Friday about his extension to the tune of $115 million, and then Sunday morning before the game, we got the news about Nico.

The Cubs gave Nico the graphic treatment.

They posted the official Nico Horner extension at six years, $141 million.

Given all of the other spending the Cubs had in the offseason,

It is a total of $488 million.

That's a big deal, especially for this team.

And Nico, now that center of the defense, the spine of the defense that we talk about, Dansby Swanson, Nico Horner, and then Pekor Armstrong backing it up in center, I think the Cubs had a pretty defined direction that they wanted to go in, and they continue to do so with the, I think, extension and making Nico a career Cub, essentially, for the terms of the contract.

For so many years, as we watch so many teams, we see fan bases beg ownerships and front offices to pick a direction.

Like, that's been a thing.

You can look around town right now and be like, hey, y'all want to pick a direction?

The Cubs have finally, it seems like, picked a very specific direction they want to go.

And we were coming to a crossroads after this season before we got this extension with Pete Corarmstrong, who we assumed would get an extension beyond his arbitration years.

But now knowing that Nico Horner, not only is he not getting traded, but he's basically a Cub for life because of the no trade clause that's in this contract.

They have picked a very, very clear direction now.

And with some other contracts coming off the books at the end of the season, most notably Ian Happ showed him a Naga.

They're going to have money to be able to.

have other players that kind of complement this new core for the Cubs.

And I'm here for it.

I love it.