The Cubs are locking up one of MLB’s most exciting young talents on a long-term contract just ahead of Opening Day.
Star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is reportedly in agreement with Chicago on a new, long-term contract extension, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The new contract will buy out all of his arbitration years and keep him with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Terms of the contract have yet to be reported, but it’s a big commitment from the Cubs, as Crow-Armstrong has only played a total of 293 MLB games across three seasons. The soon-to-be 24-year-old wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until after the 2026 season, and would have been under team control through the 2030 season. Getting the deal done so far ahead of schedule is a significant show of belief in the young outfielder from the organization, though it’s not hard to see why they’ve broken the bank for him.
Crow-Armstrong has impressed early into his career, winning the Gold Glove in center field and earning his first trip to the All-Star Game in 2025. Across 157 games last year, the 23-year-old recorded 31 home runs, 95 RBIs and 35 stolen bases. He became the first Cubs player to ever record a season with 30-plus home runs, steals and doubles, all while playing elite defense in center field. Crow-Armstrong paced the league with 14 “five-star” catches (plays with catch probabilities ranging from 0-25%) and was second in all of MLB with 24 outs above average, trailing only Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Crow-Armstrong, however. After an absolutely dominant first half of the season, in which he hit 25 home runs, stole 27 bases and had an .847 OPS, he cooled off considerably in the second half. In his last 62 games, Crow-Armstrong had a .634 OPS with just six home runs and struck out 63 times while drawing 11 walks.
This contract is an indication that the Cubs are betting the 23-year-old’s second half was just a prolonged slump and a blip on the radar. The team knows he has enormous potential, even if he has work to do in terms of his plate discipline. Last season, Crow-Armstrong struck out in 24% of his plate appearances, a bit above the league average of 22%, and walked just 4.5% of the time, well below the league average of rate of 8.4%. As a result, despite hitting 72 extra-base hits in 2025, Crow-Armstrong had an OPS of .768. That was the lowest OPS of any player in MLB who hit more than 30 home runs in 2025. Of course, it’s not uncommon for younger players to struggle in that area at the start of their career. He has a long future ahead of him in the big leagues, and will have plenty of time to improve his plate vision.
Locking up Crow-Armstrong for the future was the obvious choice for the Cubs, though it’s not as if the organization hadn’t tried to get it done earlier. The teams discussed a possible extension last year, but Crow-Armstrong rejected the team’s proposals, opting to bet on himself in a gamble that’s paying out massive dividends already. Last year’s contract offer was reportedly worth around $66 million. Crow-Armstrong’s new deal is worth more than $100 million (per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY).
Chicago is one of the best sports cities in the entire country, and Crow-Armstrong has rapidly developed into the face of the Cubs’ franchise. The organization wasted no time locking down one of MLB’s most marketable stars to a long-term deal, and considering everything he brings to the table, it was truly a no-brainer decision for the team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why a Pete Crow-Armstrong Contract Extension Was a No-Brainer for the Cubs.
