Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs agree on long-term contract extension

MESA, Ariz. — Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will celebrate his 24th birthday Wednesday. The icing on his cake will be knowing he’s on the verge of signing a long-term contract extension that will keep him with the Cubs until he's 30.

A Gold Glove center fielder with elite speed who batted .247/.287/.481 with 31 home runs and stolen 35 bases in 2025, Crow-Armstrong got on a plane with his teammates after the Cubs’ last spring-training game Tuesday with a reported six-year, $115 million contract that will be announced on Opening Day on Thursday at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs are buying out Crow-Armstrong’s arbitration years and getting cost certainty with the deal. In exchange, Crow-Armstrong will get financial security. He would have been eligible for arbitration in 2027 and for free agency in 2031.

‘‘He’s going to be an elite player in this game for a long time,’’ third baseman Alex Bregman said Tuesday. ‘‘The sky is the limit. He’s going to improve in every aspect of the game. He’s just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of.’’

Crow-Armstrong, who wasn’t available for comment, reportedly will sign a six-year, $115 million contract that will start next season and run through 2032. The Padres signed 22-year-old center fielder Jackson Merrill, who is similar to Crow-Armstrong in terms of service time, to a nine-year, $135 million deal. Escalators in Crow-Armstrong’s pact could raise its value to as much as $133 million.

Crow-Armstrong, who has face-of-the-franchise swagger and energy, tacked on 37 doubles and four triples to his home-run total and became the fastest player to reach 30 homers and 30 stolen bases last season. He also became the Cubs’ first 30/30 player since Sammy Sosa in 1995.

‘‘What do fans want?’’ outfielder Ian Happ said. ‘‘They want more triples, stolen bases, highlight plays. He’s an electric player who plays with an energy the fans appreciate. The fans [fell] in love with him.’’

Crow-Armstrong will feel as though he has something to prove with his new money. He established himself as the best defensive center fielder in the majors last season, but he faded offensively after the All-Star break. He produced a .634 OPS after making his first All-Star Game, compared with .847 before it.

A free-swinging left-handed hitter with a propensity to chase pitches out of the strike zone, Crow-Armstrong struck out 155 times and drew only 29 walks last season. In the end, however, he produced a 6.0 WAR (according to Baseball Reference), second on the Cubs to second baseman Nico Hoerner’s 6.2. He also led all major-league outfielders with 24 outs above average and finished ninth in National League MVP voting.

Crow-Armstrong was 3-for-10 in the NL wild-card series against the Padres and 2-for-19 in the NL Division Series against the Brewers. He was 2-for-20 in eight games in spring training.

Still, he had his moments this spring, hitting two homers in a game for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

With designs on making a deep postseason run, the Cubs signed Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal and traded for Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera during the offseason. Their projected luxury-tax payroll for 2026, according to Spotrac, was $224,462,380 at Crow-Armstrong’s current salary, ranking them 11th among 30 teams.

Manager Craig Counsell declined to comment on Crow-Armstrong’s deal because it’s not official yet, but he knew it was a good day for the Cubs.

‘‘Young, very talented players who do very special things, you want them to be in your franchise,’’ Counsell said.

Crow-Armstrong has stayed in the public eye during the offseason by hanging out with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams at sporting events and is exceptionally popular with fans young and old.

‘‘Pete’s an incredibly entertaining player,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘That’s a gift that he has. It’s who Pete is; he’s not putting on an act. A different player, it wouldn’t work for. But it’s how he needs to play.’’

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