Report: Cubs Recently Approached Pete Crow-Armstrong About Extension

Several extensions have already been negotiated this season, with teams opting to lock up their young talent early. Jackson Merrill and Kristian Campbell recently signed long-term deals with their respective clubs, giving Cubs fans a possible blueprint for extending Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw, and perhaps others. Sure enough, it sounds like they have begun trying to do just that.

Mark Feinsand reported on Saturday that the Cubs reached out to Crow-Armstrong’s camp about a deal, but the two sides were unable to agree on a number. Specific details aren’t available, but Feinsand tweeted that the total value was “roughly $75 million.” That is a little more than half of Merrill’s guarantee and $15 million more than Campbell’s, though the latter has options that could bring it to $100 million in total.

The Cubs recently approached Pete Crow-Armstrong about an extension worth roughly $75 million, per sources, but the two sides did not work out a deal.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) April 12, 2025

Based on the reported value, we can make an educated guess that this would really just being buying out PCA’s five remaining years of club control at a $15 million average annual value. Maybe the Cubs wanted to stretch it to a sixth year, lowering the AAV and keeping him in Chicago through 2031. Getting off to a slow start offensively may have spurred the front office to try and capitalize on a lower perceived value, something the young outfielder’s camp was not in line with.

Whether a deal comes to fruition soon or not, the fact that they have talked is good news. Crow-Armstrong is an exciting player with tremendous potential, someone the Cubs would love to have at a good price for years to come.

Ed. note: Feinsand later clarified that the $75 million figure was the max on the contract if all the option years had been exercised. That makes it sound like the proposed deal would have stretched well beyond PCA’s rookie contract, making it laughable in terms of total and annual value. We’ll see where this goes, but sounds like the Cubs were hoping to catch the young player at a vulnerable time.