The Cubs are looking at long-term spring contracts in the range of $60 million to $70 million as they consider offers throughout the season for Pete Crow Armstrong, a candidate for NL MVP. Their willingness to increase their bids indicates the growing interest, especially after PCA’s breakout performance.
They seem to have referenced players like Lawrence Butler ($65.5 million) and Ezekielt Bar ($63.5 million) as comparable, but it’s clear they’re in need of a new benchmark now.
PCA, who leads the NL with a 2.9 WAR, is gaining attention, tied with notable players like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Hesús Luzardo.
Originally, the Cubs had their sights set on pitching prospect Matt Alan, who is still recovering from an injury at Class A, as mentioned by Ken Rosenthal. They opted for PCA in a deal involving Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. While the Mets were interested in PCA, they were just 3½ games ahead of the deadline and focused on making a strong finish for Steve Cohen’s inaugural season. At that time, PCA wasn’t ranked in the top 100 and was on the IL, leading to a decision they might soon regret.
