Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a fan favorite on the North Side, but reports he had declined a contract extension offer made headlines earlier this year.
Crow-Armstrong, acquired in the Javier Baez trade in 2021, has clubbed 11 home runs and driven in 30 RBI’s and stolen 13 bases entering action on Wednesday, quickly establishing himself as an up-and-coming star for the Cubs.
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WATCH HEREIt’s why earlier this year it made headlines that the team had reportedly offered him a $75 million extension, which he did not sign.
Crow-Armstrong had nothing but kind things to say about contract talks when asked about it by NBC Chicago’s Kacy Standohar.
“It was a huge honor and compliment to have anything like that thrown your way, and a lot of those deals never get done,” he said. “I’m here to play baseball and win ballgames.”
More importantly than gaining financial security, Crow-Armstrong said that he is aiming to continue earning the trust of his teammates.
“I just want to keep gaining my teammates’ trust, and Counsell’s, for that matter,” he said. “It (the contract offer) has any relevance to the daily grind that we kind of do.”
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The young outfielder said his primary goal is to help the Cubs back to the playoffs and into World Series contention, and after a year that saw him get off to a slow start before finishing strong in 2024, arrows are pointing up for him in 2025. He is slashing .267/.307/.545 for the Cubs, and his 2.6 WAR entering action Wednesday already outpaced what he put together in 123 games last season.
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SIGN UP A big part of the reason for his success? Teammates that have been willing to have his back.
“Everybody’s kind of been there to put their hand on my shoulder and be like ‘yo, you’re okay,’” he said.
Specifically, Crow-Armstrong shouted out Justin Turner, who had the game-winning RBI double in the Cubs’ 5-4 triumph over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.
“We’re both from Southern California. We have that in common,” he said. “He’s great. Not to date him, I grew up watching him, and he’s such a big part…I wasn’t a Dodgers fan, but I went to a ton of games and he was such a big part of that part of my life. We got in contact last season and then he signed with us and that was about the coolest thing that could have happened.
Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs will wrap up their series on Wednesday night against Miami before starting a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday afternoon at the Friendly Confines.
