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Keeping a player in the minor leagues for the sake of gaining an extra year of service time is no secret practice in Major League Baseball. The Chicago Cubs have decided to take advantage of this by optioning one of their hottest hitters in spring training, Nico Hoerner.
Many Cub fans will remember when the team decided to do this with Kris Bryant in 2015. Bryant was clearly ready for the big leagues after a strong spring camp, but the front office and ownership opted to keep him in Triple-A for an extra week-and-a-half to earn the extra year of service time, saying his defense needed more work.