In July 2021, the Chicago Cubs were preparing for an epic trade deadline sale. Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Craig Kimbrel — all on expiring contracts — loomed as trade options for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
Bryant was traded to the Giants. Rizzo was shipped to the Yankees. Kimbrel was dealt to the White Sox. And Baez was traded, along with right-hander Trevor Williams, to the New York Mets in exchange for a young outfielder named Pete Crow-Armstrong.
That last move looks pretty sensational right now, as PCA tears it up on both offense and defense for the NL Central-leading Cubs. But he almost never made it to Chicago at all.
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Thanks to a pivotal Mets decision, the Cubs now have PCA
Early in the negotiations, Hoyer asked for right-hander Matt Allan in exchange for Baez, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. But the Mets viewed Allan as a future cornerstone in their rotation, the impact top-of-the-rotation arm they lacked, and informed the Cubs he was untouchable.
Chicago was one of the lone teams which asked the Mets about Crow-Armstrong, who was injured and rehabbing at the Mets’ spring training site in Port St. Lucie, Fla., at the time. Crow-Armstrong, the former No. 19 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, was also not a player the Mets were eager to part with. But once the Cubs agreed to include the right-hander Williams in the deal, the Mets then agreed to part with Crow-Armstrong.
At the time, I remember my phone blowing up from agents and scouts across baseball being really surprised. The general consensus was that the Mets overpaid for Baez, who in 47 games with New York Baez hit a strong .299/.371/.515 with an .886 OPS, nine home runs and 22 RBI.
Crow-Armstrong, meanwhile, got off to a slow start in the Cubs system. While his defensive prowess was obvious, his offensive numbers underwhelmed.
In 2025, however, Crow-Armstrong has put it all together. He’s hitting .275/.315/.525 with six home runs and 21 RBI. He’s stolen 12 bases. He’s played great defense. He’s emerged as a franchise cornerstone in the outfield and a key reason why the Cubs are off to such a strong start in 2025.
It’s why Chicago made an effort to extend Crow-Armstrong within the past six months. But the numbers that have been reported about the Cubs’ extension offer(s) are inaccurate, and it’s ultimately unclear what was offered. Whatever it was, however, is far less than whatever Crow-Armstrong is worth now, and the 23-year-old outfielder is surely glad he turned the team down.
But it would have never gotten to this point had the Mets not made Allan untouchable. And by doing so, the Cubs outfield is set to feature one of the best young centerfielders for years to come.