Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Cubs investing in Pete-Crow Armstrong is intelligent spending

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote reacted to the news that center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Cubs have agreed on a long-term contract extension. They believe it’s intelligent spending by the Cubs.

You know what did happen now, relatively now? Within the last 12 hours, Mark Grody was asleep because he's getting 10 hours over here. Your beauty rust. While you were sleeping, maybe not anybody else, PCA with the big extension. And the Cubs have set a direction with this. This is a big deal for many reasons. So you woke up to this news. Sorry, not sorry.

Yes, I put in the work last night, watched every drop of the Bulls game as we were all. We all did. You, me, and Marshall, we were all chatting it up about that Bulls game. And then I have discovered sleep over the last five days. I went right to bed. I have to tell you, though, there is nothing like that Christmas Day feeling if you are a sports fan and you're not aware of what went on and you turn on your phone. And then the PCA stuff is popping all over the place that the Cubs have reportedly do have a deal in place with PCAs through,

a little bit vague on the details right now, Leila, but through maybe 2032 for about $100 million or so. It has happened. Pete Crowell Armstrong will be here into the future. Well, and this was a debate that we had a lot last year on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. And at this time last year, not exactly this time, but I would say probably in May when you really felt good about the Cubs last year when they had gone through the NL West,

with really high success. Faced the toughest division in baseball. They had proven to you. The offense was good at the time. That was when Kyle Tucker was also swinging the bat really well. We saw Pete Kromstrung. Remember that Dodgers game? They're in L.A.

It's Sunday night baseball. And he absolutely owned that stage. Long home runs. And, you know, Dodger Stadium, even at night, that Marine layer will drag a ball down. Not for him, you know, was on the stage in his hometown, hitting multiple home runs in that game. And I just remember thinking, are we watching the ascension of someone?

And the first half for him was no doubt, absolutely fabulous. We saw how it tailed off in the second half. And I thought for that reason, maybe the Cubs would wait. And, you know, we messed with Marshall a little bit about it, too. We're like, oh, I was still feeling confident about the PCA extension week. But I think this says a lot about what the Cubs think of not just the market of offense of major league baseball and how we've seen the prices go so sky high, but also how they want to invest in somebody who they rightfully should not let walk out that door. Don't forget that you traded your core

in that pivotal season, the guys that brought you 10 years ago, a world series, and that Javi Baez trade is what brought you Pete Crow Armstrong. You should retain, if you did your job right, talent like that. And for that alone, not to get into his potential, which we will. will, but based on the season he had, based on how you understand how this market goes. And if you really want to have intelligence spending, this was an intelligent spend. I like that the Cubs chose the projection of what he did in the first half of the season, as opposed to the second half of the season. Pre-Allstar, slashed 265, 302, 544, 25 homers, 27 stolen bases,

131 WRC Plus. Fourth fastest player in Major League history to reach 25 home runs and 25 steals in a season. Post-all-star break. It needs to be mentioned. 216 home runs, eight stolen bases. The slash, if you'd like, 216, 262, 372.

That WRC plus goes from 131. 100 is average, by the way. Goes from 131 down to 72. from that 131. On the show yesterday, Layla, we had a five on it question. Who is the player that you are most sure about with the Cubs? Michael Bush in my case.

Who was the player that you're least sure about? And I said yesterday, Pete Crow Armstrong, because I'm not sure about what he is, but I like that the Cubs, because they know a lot more than I do, that they are projecting this guy to be a $100 million dollar, contract guy, which may be, may turn out to be a team-friendly deal still.

Well, and I think just based on the price of free agent hitting, it is inherently a team-friendly deal. Now, do you expect him? And this is, this is, I had to go to my no cards for this, not even the notebook, but the note cards. That's huge. That's huge. Did you guys see this? The index cards are out for Layla Rahimi. Twitch.tv.tv slash Chicago, no, not Chicago 670, the score. Twitch. I did that. I did that like four times yesterday. I know. It's our address changed. The score Chicago is where you can find us now on Twitch and on YouTube. So yes, if you look on that Twitch or YouTube, look at you.

And your handwriting is so nice. It's great girl handwriting. It's so nice. Well, I hold the pencil weird because I taught myself how to write. Anyway, here's what I wrote on here. 45, weighted runs created plus the last two months of the season. It was as bad as you thought it was. Yeah. And he's made a lot of adjustments when it comes to how he's trying to. He's talked about it too with hitting coach John Maley and others, how he's trying to do more in the box. Like his initial setup going to the box, it wasn't what he wanted it to be.

How is that affecting the entire apparatus of your swing after that? I think it was more affecting his pitch selection. And you and I have talked about this. Guy was confident in being a bad ball hitter. Well, that doesn't mean you need to swing at every slider in the dirt. said every person to every baseball player ever, right? But I feel like with him especially, how much can those adjustments help you? And for the Cubs to be able to put this vote of confidence into him, I don't think he's the guy who gets the contract and is like, okay, I'm good.

That guy wasn't hurting for money to begin with growing up. Went to one of the most prestigious private schools in Southern California. You know, he comes from that kind of background. So I don't I don't think that's going to be an issue. I think for him it's the pressure is off. Do the things that we're telling you to do. Watch the benefits happen for you. And even in the world baseball classic, I got that impression.

Like the goal is to not have the 45 WRC Plus, to have the bat at bats the last couple months of the year. The goal for you is to take that pressure off. Don't always have to swing for the fences. Pina, you get on baseball. Stop playing the garbage. We're going to play that all day today. the score caller who was that that was during the playoffs right Gallagher way I remember looking out on to the Clark street and trying to figure out that's a for me that very much I remember exactly where you were moment and what the conditions were the little sunshine kissed I remember there were people leaning on the statues and Gallagher way and I was a little offended by that that is not your seat sir and then we had that call which we as you said we will play in full at the end of the show

Is that when we're doing that? Okay. Something to look forward to. I have a feeling it's going to get broken out here and there. But just getting back to the thought process of what P. Crow Armstrong went through in the last couple months of the year where that color is correct. He was swinging at garbage. And then, hey, pressure's off. We trust you. We believe in you. Here's a huge contract to back it up. Go out there and be the best version of herself you can be. I think part of Pete Crower Armstrong's problem was, and he expressed this even, whenever he was asked what you are as a hitter, his answer was always, I don't know. It was a revelation to all of us that he had that sort of slug in the first half of the season just bombing the baseball all over the place. I don't think any of us looked at Pete Crowe Armstrong, even when he was traded to the Cubs and said, oh yeah, this is going to be a slug guy. We knew he was going to be a defensive player.

We knew that the hit tool was there, but more singles and doubles. And he's got to be a leadoff hitter. He's got to be a lead-off hitter on all of that, but he got a taste of hitting home runs. It's pretty hard to undo that feeling to start to think that you're not a slugger. Once you get a taste of what has to feel the best for any hitter in Major League Baseball,

of hitting the ball over the wall, how do you adjust in season when you start to do that? I don't think the Cubs know exactly where he lands in Slug, and I don't even know if PCA knows exactly who he is as a hitter right now. I'm pretty confident he's probably a 20 home run hitter. I don't know if he's a 30 home run hitter. Well, that's it. And as we try to figure that out with him,

the stolen basis factor into this as well. Don't forget that. I think they see his potential as being that. You know, and he went on an absolute tear in that first half, the 265-302-544 slash lane. But it was really that 25 home runs and 27 bases. And that's why just knowing the background of the Cubs when it comes to how they've signed players

and how they've approached this. And yes, I'm thinking about Kyle Schwerber right now. I'm sorry. I'm not sorry. I have to acknowledge this. Might be my favorite cup of that era. You can't let a small slump or what you think might be a small slump.

Get away like you did the last time. And if that, if he doesn't end up being the hitter that Schwerber is that we've seen since he left the building. I still think it's smarter money spent. than watching Schwabber Walk, for example. I thought about that. Did you, when this came through,

did you give that any thought at all? I did, and maybe even that, and you brought this up in the pre-show backstage, that it has been rare in this era of the Cubs, and I say, like the Jed Hoyer era going back to, what, 2012? It has been rare when the Cubs have rewarded one of their own young players, right? And I had, like, when you asked that question,

hobby, for example, this was the transaction. Everybody got traded. Chris Bryant got traded. Anthony Rizzo got traded. And the only person, when you said that off the top of my head that I could think of that got paid, and these numbers are extraordinarily different, was the year 2013 when Anthony Rizzo, who was kind of star-crossed at that time? He did not have the confidence that he ended up starting to get. In 2013, Anthony Rizzo agreed to a seven-year $41 million.

deal. It was great business for the Cubs. I'm sure Anthony Rizzo probably when he looks back on it, maybe he's even on record as saying he regrets it, but there was some insecurities with Rizzo at the time and what he would be at the big league level. Well, don't forget, too, the Rizzo was traded for.

Yes. That was the Andrew Cashner trade. Absolutely. Yes, Andrew. Right, right. Because Jet Hoyer just kept on acquiring since the Boston days got him in San Diego, got him with the Cubs. So you do give the Rizzo, the whole Rizzo thing to Jed Hoyer. That was Hoyer's baby all along. Well, and they, you know, they had the

background with San Diego professionally as well. Yes. Oh yeah. That Hoyer ran the Padres. He was the GM for the San Diego Padres. So there's that aspect of it too. And, you know, at the time, I remember there being a lot of confidence in Cashner, knowing that he could throw over a hundred very easily and consistently. I was excited. And Rizzo has famously said, I was there for the interview session when he was in San Diego. And he said this. He's like, guys, I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. He used that exact quote when I was with the Padres. And we saw how that change of scenery worked for him.

And he struggled with the Cubs for a while. Like it didn't just click immediately. And that's why he agreed to a seven-year $41 million deal and never got the mass of money with the Cubs. This is Rahimi Harrison-Rody on 104.3 of the score. We want to get your opinions to on P. Kro, Armstrong, signing this extension.

312-644-67-67 is our number. You can call and you can text us. But I think, too, is this is a change of direction for the Cubs front office. This, as you've mentioned, this is not something that they have typically done in the past. And if you're really intent on spending money smartly, and they don't even use that phrase anymore, I'm not even using it against them. I think this is a case where they're doing it right, because if you see any upside compared to the second half of what he did last year, And a lot of people do.

Then it was the smart thing to go ahead and do what teams like the Padres did with Jackson Merrill or the brewers with Jackson Churio. Just lock it down because that money only gets higher the better they get. Also, other GMs around the league, like if you ask any of those guys, the player they're going to point to on the Cubs and say, oh, yeah, PCA. Like if you have any kind of scouting eye, you look at Pete Crowe Armstrong and say, yeah, you, you, you definitely invest in that, even if you know that there's a little bit of mystery, at the absolute base, he's going to be a gold glove outfielder. That never was affected last year. He's going to steal every base.

And even if he does struggle again, he's still probably going to make things happen and drive opposing teams crazy and affect the game, even if the numbers don't show it. So that's at the minimum. And I think that's part of how they could justify it. I think one other note of justification, and this is, way at the bottom. Is there a more perfect, touchable Cubs superstar or superstar in the making? I don't know if I'm going to call him a superstar yet because he embraces it. He loves talking to the people. He loves dealing with kids. And we know that that is quintessential Cubs star. I mean,

think Sammy Sosa about how touchable he was and how fan friendly he was, whether it was genuine or not. I don't feel like doing a Sosa argument right now. But he is a perfect Cubs. star in the making. You invest in him for reasons even beyond what he does on the baseball field. Let's do a thought exercise real quick. Ooh, I mean. Prior to yesterday, who would you have said as the face of the Cubs franchise? Right at this very moment. No, prior to yesterday.

PCA, PCA, absolutely. Because I think a lot of people would have given us different answers. No, man, because he's all over the page. He hangs out with Caleb Williams. Today, I know exactly who the team wants. to be the face of the franchise. I knew yesterday, too, just because he likes being the face of the because there's nobody else.

That's the thing. There's really no other outward personalities on this team, and that's fine. I mean, the Cubs are grinders, man. There's nobody else who embraces the limelight like Pete Crowe Armstrong. He insists on being the face of the team, and that's okay. A couple of random receipts for you here on Rahimi Harrison Grody. Don't ever forget that it was, was that the marquee video? That was Marquis Sports Network that put that together, right?

It was Ian Hap and P. Croix Armstrong nailing all of the Chicago lingo. Yeah, that was Marquis. Did Pete Corr Armstrong know that the jewel was a grocery store? I have to listen back to it. I don't remember. The jewels. Sorry, you mispronounced it.

I did mispronounce it. I know you told me never to correct you, but, yeah, to Jules. I said to never correct me. That's what I always say when people correct me. What did I tell you about correcting me on the air? Well, and then I'm asking you the question, which would mean inherently your response would be correcting me. That is true. Tools. But you got to add this.

While we're at it, I hear you saying Soldier Field way too much. It's Soldiers. It is Soldiersfield. There is one that came through on Twitter, and I forget what it was, and I was like, oh, I didn't think of that one. If I remember, I'll let you guys know. But yeah, you'll hear your hill fun with audio today from a lot of our PCA

sound that we have, and I think interviews. Thanks to Tyler Buterbaugh, our producer, Ray Diaz, who was a part of our producing crew as well. You heard Ray earlier, talked to about our marquee sports network video. We got to go back and see that's on their Instagram if you want to check it out.

Mark Grody is hosting with me today. Layla Rahimian 104-3, The Score. As I forgot, our Twitch and our YouTube address is The Score, Chicago. The Score. Chicago. Add the Chicago part. That's very important. We broadcast live from the Scores Hyundai Studios,

brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers. And when we have breaking news on the score, it is brought to you by Wildfire. Enjoy a delicious meal at Wildfire Restaurants with five Chicago land locations. Our video crew is Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis and Cody Westerland. Man's our Bulls coverage and our website as well. Coming up next, let's get into some of the deep dives of the best practices of extensions. I mentioned a couple you may know.

Here's a couple that were also bargains, and you might be surprised. We'll do that next.