https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cubs-news-cubs-pete-crow-032753724.html

Very interested to see if he is able to adjust back to the adjustment made to him in the second half last season, not sure if I would have given him this paper just yet

His ST stats weren’t so great

I can see why they did it, because even if he's not hitting PCA is still a 3+ WAR player from defense alone, but also $19m a year for 6 years is a lot of investment for a volatile guy like him. This could very easily backfire and it sure would make me sad...

For the sake of posterity, I get the feeling the way he plays CF and the game that he falls apart pretty young. Not sure that he makes it to the end of this 6 years.

EDIT, just also saw that there is no option years. Wow, this is a great deal for PCA.

I will add this footnote as well.

While this would serve as the largest contract in Sox history, it is only 7th for the Cubs.

5 hours ago, almagest said:

I can see why they did it, because even if he's not hitting PCA is still a 3+ WAR player from defense alone, but also $19m a year for 6 years is a lot of investment for a volatile guy like him. This could very easily backfire and it sure would make me sad...

I really can’t imagine this being a bad deal when I remember that the Sox gave Benintendi 5-years and $75 million to “play” LF in 2023. PCA can actually play CF defense and steal bases when he’s slumping with the bat.

Edited March 25Mar 25 by WhiteSox2023

2 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

I really can’t imagine this being a bad deal when I remember that the Sox gave Benintendi 5-years and $75 million to “play” LF in 2023. PCA can actually play CF defense and steal bases when he’s slumping with the bat.

Can't steal first. He only had 8 SB in the second half last season, less than LRJ who played half the games.

It's a risk but if he were a Sox he never get that but definitely traded.

Are we looking at the contract with our budget Sox goggles?

It's the Cubs, they can afford a bad contract.

4 hours ago, kitekrazy said:

It's a risk but if he were a Sox he never get that but definitely traded.

Are we looking at the contract with our budget Sox goggles?

It's the Cubs, they can afford a bad contract.

The Cubs aren’t such a beast that they can just toss out these contracts and expect no repercussions if he doesn’t become the player that they are paying him to be. Thats a big problem if their star CF and top of the order hitter disappears

16 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

I really can’t imagine this being a bad deal when I remember that the Sox gave Benintendi 5-years and $75 million to “play” LF in 2023. PCA can actually play CF defense and steal bases when he’s slumping with the bat.

That's why I said he's a 3+ WAR guy even if he's not hitting. The issues I have with him are more potential injuries and his personality running thin.

29 minutes ago, almagest said:

That's why I said he's a 3+ WAR guy even if he's not hitting. The issues I have with him are more potential injuries and his personality running thin.

Yep, my fault. I should have said that I agreed with your first sentence. With injuries, who knows? We had a guy in Eloy who we wanted to just be a statue in LF or simply DH and somehow he kept getting injured. CF is obviously a more physical position than LF but I don’t think PCA has proven himself to be injury-prone yet like a Luis Robert. Could happen though…

32 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Yep, my fault. I should have said that I agreed with your first sentence. With injuries, who knows? We had a guy in Eloy who we wanted to just be a statue in LF or simply DH and somehow he kept getting injured. CF is obviously a more physical position than LF but I don’t think PCA has proven himself to be injury-prone yet like a Luis Robert. Could happen though…

Yea he's not, but he's got a pretty reckless playing style so I wouldn't be surprised if he starts getting injured.

17 minutes ago, almagest said:

Yea he's not, but he's got a pretty reckless playing style so I wouldn't be surprised if he starts getting injured.

Yep, and those guys don't get better after abusing their bodies too much.

he was annointed a superstar kind of in the way that Gordon B was by Jeter. Waaaaay too early without a sample size that was realistic.

1 hour ago, EloyJenkins said:

he was annointed a superstar kind of in the way that Gordon B was by Jeter. Waaaaay too early without a sample size that was realistic.

He believes his own hype too. I don't mind the hair or a bit of flash, and I think a certain amount of ego is basically necessary...but watching him peacock around AA like he was just a temporarily inconvenienced triple crown winning World Series MVP is what permanently soured me on the guy.

21 hours ago, EloyJenkins said:

he was annointed a superstar kind of in the way that Gordon B was by Jeter. Waaaaay too early without a sample size that was realistic.

19 hours ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

He believes his own hype too. I don't mind the hair or a bit of flash, and I think a certain amount of ego is basically necessary...but watching him peacock around AA like he was just a temporarily inconvenienced triple crown winning World Series MVP is what permanently soured me on the guy.

Not surprising. He was a top prospect for a New York team. They tend to be overhyped.

Regardless, the Cubs got him for the rotting overpaid corpse of Javy Baez when his contract was expiring. It was one of the best trades in recent history.

On 3/26/2026 at 6:38 AM, Kyyle23 said:

The Cubs aren’t such a beast that they can just toss out these contracts and expect no repercussions if he doesn’t become the player that they are paying him to be. Thats a big problem if their star CF and top of the order hitter disappears

The Cubs gave more money to Jason Heyward ten years ago, won a World Series, and survived his awful bloated contract (8-years, $184 million) throughout several bust seasons without much of a problem. This PCA deal is chump change these days.

Edited March 27Mar 27 by WhiteSox2023

2 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

The Cubs gave more money to Jason Heyward ten years ago, won a World Series, and survived his awful bloated contract (8-years, $184 million) throughout several bust seasons without much of a problem. This PCA deal is chump change these days.

Based on the years they bought out, you are probably only talking about at most 2 to 3 expensive years.

4 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

Based on the years they bought out, you are probably only talking about at most 2 to 3 expensive years.

I’m not sure what you mean. They have had $5 million in deferred payments due annually to Heyward from 2024 to 2027. That’s $20 million. But they still had to eat his entire contract.

Heyward’s annual salaries were:

• $15M (2016), $21.5M (2017), $21.5M (2018), $20M (2019), $21M (2020), $21M (2021), $22M (2022), $22M (2023).

Edited March 27Mar 27 by WhiteSox2023

3 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

I’m not sure what you mean. They have $5 million in deferred payments due annually to Heyward from 2024 to 2027. That’s $20 million. But they still had to eat his entire contract.

His annual salaries were:

• $15M (2016), $21.5M (2017), $21.5M (2018), $20M (2019), $21M (2020), $21M (2021), $22M (2022), $22M (2023).

For PCA. Heywood was a full FA contract. They are structured very differently The front years will be a million or two. Half the deal will be the last two years.

2 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

For PCA. Heywood was a full FA contract. They are structured very differently The front years will be a million or two. Half the deal will be the last two years.

Sure, a UFA will get paid more than a young player getting an extension, but money is money. The final two years (2031 and 2032) of PCA’s deal are expensive at $30 million per season, but Heyward was getting paid $21.5 million a season almost ten years ago. Doesn’t seem crazy with the inflation of baseball contracts over time.

Pete Crow-Armstrong cf
1 year/$894,000 (2026)
6 years/$115M (2027-32)

• 6 years/$115M (2027-32)

  • signed extension with Chicago Cubs 3/25/26

  • $5M signing bonus

  • 27:$10M, 28:$10M, 29:$10M, 30:$20M, 31:$30M, 32:$30M

  • 2031-32 salaries increase up to an additional $18M based on 2027-31 MVP votes: $2M each for winning MVP. $1M each for second or third in vote. $750,000 each for fourth or fifth in vote. $500,000 each for sixth through 10th in vote

  • assignment bonus: $1M with trade

Petey off to a sizzling start. .596 OPS, more Ks than hits, no XBHs.

12 hours ago, nrockway said:

Petey off to a sizzling start. .596 OPS, more Ks than hits, no XBHs.

I wonder if he is pressing a bit after this deal?

Or he just isn't that good.

11 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I wonder if he is pressing a bit after this deal?

Or he just isn't that good.

Probably the former.

Looked fine in the WBC. Was taking playing time from Buxton even until that final game.

5 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Probably the former.

Looked fine in the WBC. Was taking playing time from Buxton even until that final game.

Pretty good in wbc, but 2-22 in spring training, good for .292 ops.

Just don’t think he’s a very good hitter. Has some power for sure. Defensive stud. But I think this and the Hoerner contract are going to bite the Cubs. Not committing that money and re-signing Tucker should’ve been their priority imo.