New Pete Crow-Armstrong extension projection is a deal the Cubs would love to make

Pete Crow-Armstrong has made his position on a potential contract extension clear: he's 'got bigger fish to fry' and is focused on this month's World Baseball Classic and the upcoming 2026 Chicago Cubs season.

On the heels of a Gold Glove, All-Star 2025 campaign, it's all eyes on the Cubs' dynamic young outfielder this spring. Everyone is waiting to see how he produces at the plate after what can be best described as a tale of two halves last year (.847 OPS pre-All-Star break, .634 OPS after) - and he knows expectations are high.

So while there may not be a rush for PCA and Jed Hoyer to iron out details on a long-term deal, that doesn't mean folks will stop speculating or talking about what such a pact might look like. FanSided's Robert Murray included Crow-Armstrong in a recent roundup of extension rumors, charting out two paths his camp could take in talks.

Could we see the Cubs and Pete Crow-Armstrong come together on a mega deal?

The first is the one we've heard tossed around most frequently: something comparable to the eight-year, $111 million deal Corbin Carroll signed with the Diamondbacks. That would allow PCA to hypothetically hit free agency again in his early 30s for another bite at the apple. The other path would make him a Cub for like - and be more in the neighborhood of the deals Julio Rodriguez, Fernando Tatis and Bobby Witt Jr. have signed in recent years.

Given the volatility of Crow-Armstrong's production last year, there's next to no chance the Cubs lock in a deal like that right now. But maybe a year from now, with another season under his belt and more data to make the decision on, there's something there. We'll see.

Murray's FanSided colleague Chris Landers dug in a little more on what a potential PCA deal could look like - and he definitely sided with the shorter-term option over something that spans the former first-rounder's entire career: seven years, $125 million - with a club option for an eighth year.

Given where market values are heading (even with the uncertainty surrounding the game thanks to looming CBA negotiations), that could end up being a steal. Even if the bat doesn't play at the elite level it did early last season, his elite defense and baserunning abilities give him an above-average floor as an annual 3.0 WAR player.

Locking him in through his 20s at less than $18 million annually would be a no-brainer - and give the Cubs some much-needed long-term stability at a time when much of the team's core is ticketed for free agency in the not-too-distant future.