Teammates celebrate PCA's reported extension ... and confirm dinner's on him now 

CHICAGO -- Pete Crow-Armstrong made a quick stop at his locker ahead of Thursday’s Opening Day game against the Nationals, then weaved swiftly through the gathered reporters and headed out the clubhouse door. His time to talk about his new, pending extension will be coming soon.

That did not stop the center fielder’s teammates from discussing the news.

“I said, 'Congrats,'” Cubs veteran Dansby Swanson said. “But then I was just making sure that he understood that I was no longer responsible for every dinner.”

The Cubs and Crow-Armstrong departed Spring Training with an agreement on a six-year, $115 million extension that was finalized Tuesday night, sources told MLB.com. The deal, which is not yet confirmed or announced by the ballclub, begins with the 2027 season and could be worth $133 million in total value, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

Thursday was reserved for Opening Day and all the pomp and circumstance that went along with the season’s first festivities at Wrigley Field. For Crow-Armstrong, the Cubs are expected to have a press conference at the Friendly Confines during Friday’s team off-day to officially announce and discuss the center fielder’s long-term contract.

It will be a moment to celebrate both for the Cubs and their fans.

“He’s someone that’s embraced Chicago as a whole,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “We can project what Pete’s going to be like as a player, or this and that, but at the end of the day, you have someone that passionately cares about winning and wants to impact the game every single day.”

This has been a week of milestones for Crow-Armstrong.

Crow-Armstrong turned 24 years old on Wednesday, when he was also added to Gatorade’s roster of sponsored athletes (the company’s first Major Leaguer since 2023). Now comes the arrival of a ‘26 season with World Series aspirations for the Cubs, and a contract that will keep him with the North Siders through at least the 2032 campaign.

This marks Crow-Armstrong’s second straight Opening Day as the Cubs’ starting center fielder. Prior to him taking over that crucial spot, Chicago cycled through a dozen Opening Day center fielders in the 19-year period after Corey Patterson started in four straight openers (2002-05).

“That position is just so hard to fill,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said on Thursday. “It’s a young man’s position. Speed and twitchiness is so much a part of being able to play center field. When you look around baseball, it’s hard to find. It’s a position that we’ve struggled to find at times, so having an elite defensive center fielder now, it’s a great feeling.”

Crow-Armstrong enjoyed a historic season last year, ending with 31 home runs, 37 doubles and 35 stolen bases to become the first 30-30-30 player in Cubs history. He started in center for the National League All-Star team, was in the MVP conversation until a second-half fade and picked up his first career Gold Glove Award.

Crow-Armstrong set a Statcast-era, single-season record with 19 five-star catches (0-25% catch probability), shattering Billy Hamilton’s mark of 12 in 2016. Only Twins center fielder Byron Buxton had a higher one-year total of outs above average (27 in ‘17) than Crow-Armstrong posted last year (24).

“With Pete,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, “I think the player who was the best defender in the world last year -- in baseball -- played center field for the Chicago Cubs. That’s a big deal. It’s a position that defensively can make a huge impact on games, and I think we saw that a lot.

“Having Pete on our side and having him around is important to our success, and it’s wins. A guy like that is wins. He’s got another challenge ahead of him now, but he’s ready for it.”

Crow-Armstrong’s teammates were thrilled to hear the Cubs were able to get the deal to the finish line.

“I’m really happy for him,” Swanson said. “I’m really happy for this organization. He obviously means a lot to not only this team, but the city and really embodies what it means to be a Cub. So being able to have him here for the next six-plus years is awesome.”