Pete Crow-Armstrong's extension shaped Cubs future before the ink was dry

However much money Pete Crow-Armstrong makes with the Chicago Cubs over the next half-decade plus, it'll be a lot. While the financials of PCA's deal have yet to be made public, one thing is for sure – the 23-year-old's deal will impact the Cubs on and off the field, both now and into the not-so-distant future. You see, when one domino falls, it creates a ripple effect across MLB, not just in Chicago but for other extension candidates down the road.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the extension will make Crow-Armstrong the second-highest paid Cub to Alex Bregman, who was signed this winter. Chicago's ownership finally invested in this club beyond manager Craig Counsell and a few extra pieces – like Bregman, Dansby Swanson and Shota Imanaga, among others – and now have Crow-Armstrong as their centerpiece. However, the offseasons ahead are littered with current Cubs stars. In that sense, PCA's extension has already made some decisions for Jed Hoyer.

What Pete Crow-Armstrong's extension means for Cubs free-agents-to-be

Just a few days prior to Opening Day is a strange time to talk about free agency, especially in regards to next winter. However, Crow-Armstrong's extension was no doubt offered with those players in mind. Whether it be not extending Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ – both fellow outfielders who will hit free agency in a year – or shopping Nico Hoerner on the trade market, the Cubs have known for some time that Crow-Armstrong was their present and future. An extension was a formality, and its impact has already touched several Cubs stars in some way, shape or form.

Seiya Suzuki

Suzuki will start the season on the injured list, but Crow-Armstrong's contract will impact his upcoming season greatly. Suzuki arguably had the best season of his brief MLB career last year, in which he hit 32 home runs and finished 20th in NL MVP voting. However, where Suzuki struggles is also where PCA exceeds, and that is in the outfield. Crow-Armstrong won a gold glove, and Suzuki is trending toward being little more than a glorified DH. An early knee injury won't help matters, either.

Ian Happ

Happ, a Pittsburgh native, is beloved in Chicago. Entering his age-31 season, Happ has played his entire career with the Cubs, and had his second-best bWAR year to date in 2025. There's little doubt Happ is reaching the tail end of his prime. Yet, that won't stop him from testing the free-agent market and likely receiving offers a little out of the Cubs comfort zone. However, if Chicago hopes to contend with the Brewers in the NL Central, they'll have to pony up. Are they comfortable paying two outfielders over $100 million, especially if one of those players is 32 to start the 2027 season?

Nico Hoerner

Hoerner was included in trade rumors this winter. None of it made all that much sense, as Hoerner just won a Gold Glove at second base, is 28 years old and still relatively affordable. The Cubs are essentially betting against a Hoerner breakout season offensively. If he registers an OPS north of, say, .751, it'd be the best of his career and would help his value skyrocket in free agency. But Hoerner is one of the best defensive infielders in the sport. He will not come cheap, but his lack of offensive upside makes him more likely to stay than Happ or Suzuki, even with PCA's nine-figure extension on the books.

Shota Imanaga

The Cubs don't exactly have a surplus of starting pitching. Thus, they can't afford to lose all that much of it. But Chicago did trade for Edward Cabrera this winter, who has ace upside. Imanaga opted to stay around on his qualifying offer, but that could all change if he has another impressive campaign in 2026. With Jameson Taillon also set to hit free agency next winter, expect the Cubs to do everything in their power to keep a (hopefully) strong rotation in tact, especially since the lineup could take a hit despite Crow-Armstrong's steady presence.

Why the Cubs future still looks bright with Pete Crow-Armstrong

If Crow-Armstrong is the player the Cubs think he is, then he can help make up for their deficiencies in other departments. For example, Happ is an excellent defensive corner outfielder. PCA, though, is gold glove-caliber in center field and already has some hardware to his name. His corner-to-corner speed is unparalleled for his position, and it'll make (theoretically) letting Happ walk to the highest bidder much easier in free agency, if that's how this plays out.

The same can be said of Suzuki. Sure, Seiya offers more raw power than PCA as of this writing, but Crow-Armstrong just had a 30-30 season. Who's to say he can't reach 35-to-40 home runs in the near future?

Crow-Armstrong led all outfielders with 24 outs above average. He ranked second in defensive runs saved with 15. He stole 35 bases and had 72 extra-base hits. Despite a dry spell in the second half of the season, Crow-Armstrong created offense on his own, turning singles into doubles and every on-base opportunity into pure theatre as a stolen base threat.

Sure, he can improve. Most 23-year-old's can. Increasing PCA's walk rate will only make him more dangerous, and should come with time. The Cubs know a perennial MVP candidate when they see one, which is why they tried to extend Crow-Armstrong two winters ago.

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