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5 hours ago
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Pete Crow-Armstrong is emerging as a superstar, and the Chicago Cubs know it.
After a solid rookie season that saw Crow-Armstrong steadily improve at the plate as the months rolled by, expectations were high coming into the 23-year-old's sophomore campaign. But few could predict just how much growth would happen in such a short time.
Through 48 games this season, Crow-Armstrong is slashing .282/.317/.569, already surpassing his 2024 home run total with 12 long balls. He's been worth 3.0 bWAR thus far, making him the National League's most valuable position player (tied with the San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatís Jr.).
Though he's only in year two, the Cubs know it would be beneficial to lock up Crow-Armstrong to a long-term contract extension as soon as possible. Multiple reports confirmed that they offered him a $75 million deal this offseason, but it's certainly going to take more than that.
On Tuesday, Cubs president of baseball operations discussed the club's ongoing efforts to extend Crow-Armstrong during an appearance on 670 The Score's "Mully and Haugh Show."
"We did approach Pete," Hoyer confirmed. "We think the world of him, and there's so many things to like about not only the way he plays the game but how he is as a teammate.
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"We'd love to sign him long-term. Obviously, those conversations in-season are delicate, and I'm sure at some point, we will revisit, but right now, we're just letting him focus on the season."
Meanwhile, ESPN's Jeff Passan recently projected that it would take at least $100 million to extend Crow-Armstrong now, but said that total could easily climb over the $200 million mark if he keeps up his torrid start.
Crow-Armstrong has certainly given the Cubs' front office a lot to think about. But for now, fans should seemingly focus on his brilliant play, rather than anticipating a new deal getting done quickly.
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