Cubs Sign Pete Crow-Armstrong to a six-year Extension

The Chicago Cubs and star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong have agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $115 million. The extension includes $18 million in incentives, bringing the total value of the contract to $133 million. This extension includes no club options, buying out all of his arbitration years and two years of free agency. This allows the 24-year-old fan favorite to hit free agency before the age of 31. Per MLB insider Jon Heyman, this marks the largest extension ever for a player with five years of team control remaining that does not include a club option.

Since acquiring Crow-Armstrong in a deal that sent former Cubs star Javier Baez to the New York Mets in 2021, he has become one of baseball's most exciting young players . After tearing through the minor leagues (.295/.368/.515 across four seasons), the Cubs promoted the California native to the big leagues as the Cubs made a final push towards the playoffs in September of 2023. While he began 2024 in Triple-A, he quickly returned to the North Side in April, blasting a two-run home run off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu for his first career Major League hit.

His offensive breakout and defensive prowess landed him No. 40 on MLB’s 2026 “Top 100 Players Right Now” and a Gold Glove. Coupling this excellent play and his infectious personality, he has become one of the most popular athletes in Chicago and in all of baseball. PCA finished the 2025 season with the 16th best-selling jersey in MLB and the highest ranking for any Cubs.

While PCA’s disappointing end to 2025 could potentially signal red flags for the future value of the contract (.634 ops after July 13th), the underlying numbers tell a different story. As noted in my previous piece “Why 2026 Will Be Pete Crow-Armstrong's Biggest Breakout”, all signs point to PCA being one of the best-young stars baseball has to offer. With his 30/30 pedigree and top-tier defense now secured through 2032, he appears to be worth every penny of his lucrative extension.