Pete Crow-Armstrong sent a loud, unmistakable message to the Chicago Cubs front office with his two-homer performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night: Pay him.
More specifically, pay him more than you already planned to. One day after Crow-Armstrong reportedly turned down a contract extension worth up to $75 million, he propelled the Cubs to a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers. The promising young outfielder went 3-for-4 from the plate, blasting two solo homers, his first and second of the 2025 MLB campaign. And frankly, the timing couldn't be better — at least for him.
Addressing the media after Chicago's series-clinching win in Los Angeles, Crow-Armstrong sounded like someone who knows a new deal will (eventually) come. And instead of harping on the failed negotiations, he took the high road, allowing his play on the field to speak for itself.
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Pete Crow-Armstrong sends Cubs a crystal-clear message about extension talks with two-HR showing vs. Dodgers
Crow-Armstrong expressed his gratitude for Chicago's brain trust, namely president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins. He's thankful the Cubs are even considering making such a significant investment in him despite having minimal experience in the Majors.
"That’s something I’d absolutely love to do, and Carter [Hawkins] and Jed [Hoyer] know that," Crow-Armstrong said (h/t Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). "Again, that’s been a part of the good round of communication we’ve got. I would obviously love to do it here. It’s all just a big ol’ compliment. They’ve been nothing but really complimentary of who I am, what I mean to the organization."
Conversely, Crow-Armstrong noted that the respect "goes both ways." He's "appreciated [Hoyer and Hawkins] throughout this whole situation," a sign that discussions between the two sides haven't soured regardless of where things currently stand.
As the ascending Cubs' impressive start to the year continues, their recent disagreement with Crow-Armstrong is merely a blip on the radar. He doesn't sound worried about it and isn't eligible to hit free agency for the first time until after the 2030 season. So, there's ample time to resolve the matter in the future, though the 23-year-old told Chicago "time is money" with his bat versus L.A.