Why Pete Crow-Armstrong Rejecting Cubs Contract Extension Isn’t The Full Story

Those who watched the Chicago Cubs' 23-year-old outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong during the first few months of the 2025 season were convinced that baseball's next big superstar was residing at Wrigley Field.

Despite never having a full MLB season under his belt, PCA went on a tear during the early portion of his 2025 campaign, to the point where he (and his teammate Kyle Tucker) were in early conversations about 2025 NL MVP favorites.

While his defense remained elite, PCA had begun cooling off at the plate by the time the MLB All-Star Game rolled around. Still, he was hitting .265 with an .846 OPS, 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases, and the Cubs were playing great baseball.

PCA's season didn't continue with this same trajectory. In fact, his .634 OPS, six home runs, and eight stolen bases after the All-Star break raised a lot of concerns among the Cubs' organization and fan base about whether PCA was the superstar that many had initially made him out to be. The good news was that his defense was still elite, and he had managed to remain healthy.

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after striking out on October 8, 2025 — Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Fast forward to this current offseason, and the sentiment is that PCA's second-half struggles were owed to him not having the endurance to sustain a full MLB season quite yet, that his talent and impact are undeniable, and that he's poised for a 2026 season that matches what he did for the first few months of his 2025 campaign.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Contract Extension Report Speaks Volumes

In April 2025, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the Cubs offered PCA a contract extension of about $75 million, but that the sides could not agree to a deal.

And on November 10, Marquee Sports Network MLB insider Bruce Levine published an article that read, "Going into his second full season in the major leagues, Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs will revisit a brief negotiation that had the 23-year-old player pushing aside a $90 million contract proposal in the spring, according to MLB sources."

What would a PCA contract extension with the Cubs look like? 🤔
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) November 10, 2025

There are a few fascinating aspects to this. One is that the initial report of $75 million actually being closer to $90 million shows that the Cubs weren't deliberately trying to low-ball PCA, despite him being unproven.

But the fact that both sides are now trying to negotiate a new deal shows that PCA initially rejecting that contract offer didn't sour him on the idea of staying with the Cubs long-term. Instead, he's simply keen to get paid what he thinks he's worth.

That said, the Cubs' next offer will likely need to exceed $90 million by a good deal if they want to lock PCA up long-term, given the potential he showed in 2025.

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