Overview
- Crow-Armstrong, which agreed Tuesday to a six-year, $115 million pact, will see the deal start in 2027 with no club option and a free-agent path before his age-31 season.
- The contract includes award escalators and a trade assignment bonus, with reporting indicating the total could climb to about $133 million.
- The structure buys out his arbitration years and moves peak payouts into team-controlled seasons, a common way to secure prime years at set prices.
- The Cubs are paying off a 2025 leap — All-Star, Gold Glove, 31 homers and 35 steals — even as coverage flags a late-season slump and plate-discipline concerns as the key risk.
- ESPN first detailed the agreement and timing, the AP added escalator and bonus terms, and earlier reporting noted he turned down roughly $66 million last spring before betting on a breakout.