PCA, Cubs discussing long-term extension, appear to be closing in on deal (sources)

MESA, Ariz. -- On his walk from the Cubs’ hitting facility to the team’s clubhouse on a recent Arizona morning, Pete Crow-Armstrong was met by a group of six kids on the back patio of the complex. They scrambled over and lined up – a couple wearing his jersey – and the star center fielder stopped and signed autographs for each one.

Crow-Armstrong has quickly put himself in the face-of-the-franchise category, emerging as a favorite among Cubs fans young and old with his energetic play, headline-grabbing quotes and desire to help the North Siders recapture World Series glory. He is the kind of player organizations want to keep in the fold for a long time, and the Cubs are working to do precisely that with their budding superstar.

On Monday night, the Cubs were deep into extension talks with Crow-Armstrong and closing in on a deal, sources told MLB.com, including executive reporter Mark Feinsand. The terms and length of the deal were not immediately known, but the agreement will keep the center fielder locked in as part of the team’s core for the foreseeable future.

The Cubs have not confirmed the contract talks. With the start of the season fast approaching, the team would likely officially announce this type of deal during the upcoming series against the Nationals in Chicago.

With his 24th birthday looming on Wednesday – on the eve of Opening Day at Wrigley Field – this was a natural time for the sides to push toward getting a deal across the finish line. The Cubs engaged Crow-Armstrong in contract talks last spring, but the discussions were put to the side in the name of focusing on the season without distractions.

Coming off a season filled with historic footnotes, Crow-Armstrong serves as an anchor for Chicago’s strong defense and a sparkplug for the lineup. He played at an MVP-caliber level for much of last season, which ended with the Cubs punching their ticket to the playoffs with a 92-win campaign and coming within one win of the National League Division Series.

The expectations for both Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs are even higher in ‘26.

“Look,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said earlier this spring, “because of just who Pete is and because of his talents, I think there’s always going to be very high expectations. That’s the blessing and the curse of being very talented, right? And that’s OK. And I think Pete understands that better than we give him credit for, right?

“He understands that very, very well. And I think he handles it very, very well. That’s part of it. You’re going to talk about people like that a lot.”

Crow-Armstrong finished last season with 31 homers, 37 doubles, four triples, 95 RBIs, 35 stolen bases and 91 runs scored. He was the fastest player in Cubs history to reach 30 home runs and 30 steals in a season, and the only player in Cubs history to add at least 30 doubles to the equation.

Offensively, it was a tale of two halves for Crow-Armstrong. He was one of three players in MLB history to have 25 homers and 25 steals in the first half, joining Eric Davis (1987) and Bobby Bonds (1973). The Cubs center fielder was the only player among that trio to have at least 70 RBIs as well.

Crow-Armstrong posted an .847 OPS in the first half, earning a place in the NL’s starting lineup for the All-Star Game and hearing his name included in early chatter about MVP contenders. After the break, however, he slumped to the tune of a .634 OPS, while still offering elite-level defense.

In fact, Crow-Armstrong’s 19 five-star catches (0-25% catch probability) last year set a single-season record since Statcast has been tracking such plays. Billy Hamilton previously held the mark with 12 five-star catches in 2016. Crow-Armstrong’s 24 Outs Above Average were the second most on record, trailing only Byron Buxton’s 27 OAA in '17.

Crow-Armstrong came into camp this spring with the goal of being more consistent at the plate this season, and expressed excitement over having star third baseman Alex Bregman now aboard to help with that part of his development.

“I think the sky’s the limit for him,” Bregman said. “I feel like he can do anything on a baseball field. Running the bases, defensively, offensively. I feel like the more that he refines his game, he’s just going to continue to get better and better and better.”

The Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong as part of the 2021 Trade Deadline that dismantled the previous core group that helped Chicago win the ‘16 World Series. The North Siders landed the center fielder as a prospect from the Mets in a deal for Javier Báez, who was one of Crow-Armstrong’s favorite players growing up.

Cubs fans loved to watch “El Mago” during his days on the North Side due to his defensive wizardry and dynamic offense. The fan base now has a similarly electric player in return in Crow-Armstrong, who has been serenaded with chants of “P-C-A!” in Wrigley Field and ballparks around the game.

Crow-Armstrong has repeatedly expressed his love for Chicago, its fans and the Cubs, making this extension a no-brainer for all parties involved. Perhaps no moment captured that better than when Crow-Armstrong caught the final out of the NL Wild Card-clinching win over the Padres, and turned around to celebrate with fans in the bleachers.

“Being able to turn around every day for 81 games,” Crow-Armstrong said that night, “and actually see people’s faces and kind of see what they’re feeling and hear things they’re saying, I really do believe I have a relationship with every single one of them. It was only right that I shared that with them for a second.”