Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong extension looks better than ever with new Elly De La Cruz rumor 

Pete Crow-Armstrong will man center field for the Chicago Cubs through at least 2032. The six-year, $115 million contract extension he signed this spring hasn't even come into effect yet, even as he locks up National League MVP honors with a season for the ages.

Cubs president of baseball operations quickly silenced his critics this year when he not only extended PCA, but also locked up Gold Glove infielder Nico Hoerner via a six-year, $135 million deal, preventing him from hitting free agency alongside Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki at season's end.

Those extensions, paired with the major free-agent signing of Alex Bregman, give the Cubs a solid core for the next half-decade or so. Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, the seemingly endless cycle of doom and gloom shows no signs of abating - especially given the latest Elly De La Cruz rumors.

Clock is ticking on Elly De La Cruz and the Reds as PCA, Cubs look ahead

Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans believes De La Cruz has 'bigger ambitions' than spending the rest of his career in Cincinnati - and, frankly, given the way ownership operates, few can blame the guy. He reportedly turned down the largest contract in Reds history last offseason and has his eyes set on the future, even as he serves as the face of the franchise.

De La Cruz has played well this year, entering Tuesday at 5.1 bWAR and a 25/25 season to his credit. He's still just 24 years old and is under team control through 2029, so the end of the road isn't here just yet, but it's completely within the realm of possibility we see the Reds trade their young superstar at in the coming years.

Barring a change in ownership (something Reds fans have been begging for for years), there's a clear end date to this relationship - which starkly contrasts with the Cubs' ability to build a nice core to assemble a supporting cast around in the coming years.

Assuming no other NL Central team lands De La Cruz, either via trade or when he hits free agency, the Cubs stand to benefit with one of the division's premier talents departing. Of course, how this winter's CBA talks play out is another unknown in this equation, but in the short-term, it just makes me deeply, deeply appreciate the fact the Cubs did right by Crow-Armstrong and locked him up.

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