Cubs insider hints biggest offseason priority is already on roster

The largest contract the Chicago Cubs sign this offseason may be with a player already on their roster. Jed Hoyer confirmed that the Cubs were going to be diligent about contract extensions this winter, and it would seem signing Pete Crow-Armstrong to an extension is a priority for the team. Marquee Sports Network's Bruce Levine reports that the Cubs are expected to engage with Crow-Armstrong this offseason about an extension that would wipe out his arbitration years.

Levine also provided an update on the talks between the two sides during spring training last season. At the time, the Cubs faced criticism for a reported offer to Crow-Armstrong that was less than $80MM. At the very least, it seemed like the Cubs were trying to establish a floor in negotiations, as opposed to looking to get a deal done. In his report this week, Levine suggests the Cubs' original offer was closer to $90MM.

If you're in Crow-Armstrong's camp, you point to his MVP-type production during the first half of the season as the reason why any contract floor should be on par with the deals that Corbin Carroll signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Ronald Acuna Jr. signed with the Atlanta Braves. Two deals referenced by Levine were for 8 years and over $100MM.

The Chicago Cubs' signing Pete Crow-Armstrong to an extension this offseason remains a priority for the team.

If you're the Cubs, you point to Crow-Armstrong's struggles during the second half of the season as the reason why any offer may not be the true ceiling of the 23-year-old's potential value.

A recent example, and one that likely is closer to the deal that Crow-Armstrong would sign, is Jackson Merrill's nine-year extension with the San Diego Padres that goes into effect in 2026. Worth $135MM, the deal also includes escalators for MVP voting.

Crow-Armstrong is tracking to become arbitration-eligible next offseason and is under control through the 2030 season. Using Levine's logic, the assumption is that the Cubs may be looking for a ten-year deal, which would put a potential deal in the range of $150MM. Considering the alternative, and what Crow-Armstrong may be looking at if he becomes the MVP candidate he was during the first half of the 2025 season, that's a deal the Cubs should be racing to make.