The Chicago Cubs have had one of the most fun starts to a season they’ve experienced in a long time, and one man seems to find himself at the center of things every single night.
Though many hoped and even expected a potential breakout season for second-year center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, the season he’s had has exceeded the wildest expectations of just about everyone.
Crow-Armstrong was already a defensive standout, but he has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate with an incredible season so far at the plate as well.
Chicago has already tried and failed to lock up the youngster, but at least one insider thinks they have to get it done now before it’s too late.
During an interview on 670 The Score, Heyman — who is one of baseball’s most prominent insiders — talked about the possibility of an agreement being made now rather than later.
“They better sign him, I don’t think they have any choice now,” Heyman said when asked what he sees as the future between the two sides. “We’re not talking enormous bucks, this isn’t a [Kyle] Tucker situation, we’re talking about a guy with a bunch of [arbitration] years to go.”
Heyman would go on to reference the fact that the initial offer — which was declined — was between $60 and $70 million, but that Chicago knows that is not enough for someone who is a legitimate MVP candidate.
Speculating that the actual number it would take right now for Crow-Armstrong to agree to a long-term deal, Heyman guessed it would be roughly around $140 million.
Depending on the length of time, this would extend the Cubs’ control of the young star past 2030 and potentially give them a comfortable number for a player of Crow-Armstrong’s caliber for the better part of the next decade.
Chicago must also turn its focus on extending Tucker as well — obviously a different stratosphere of numbers — but if they are willing to stretch themselves a bit, there’s no reason why they can’t sign both.
These two outfielders are clearly capable of carrying the load on both offense and defense for the foreseeable future and the Cubs have a chance to lock up a special duo at the same time.
Though signing Crow-Armstrong to an extension five years before he hits the open market could be a bit complicated, it would benefit Chicago long-term to get it done sooner rather than later.
