Five years ago, the Chicago Cubs stole Pete Crow-Armstrong away from the Mets in a three-player trade that, most notably, sent Javier Báez to New York for two months before free agency. The deal was part of Chicago’s deadline sell-off that saw 2016 World Series champions Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant traded away in addition to Báez. A difficult time on the North Side, it was.

Now the Cubs are making sure Crow-Armstrong is part of their long-term future. The Cubs and Crow-Armstrong have agreed to a six-year, $115 million extension, according to ESPN. The deal runs from 2027-32 and doesn’t include any option years. Crow-Armstrong was previously scheduled to hit free agency after the 2030 season.

Here are the largest contracts given to players five years away from free agency:

1. Jackson Merrill: 9 years and $135 million (signed April 2025)
2. Pete Crow-Armstrong: 6 years and $115 million (signed March 2026)
3. Jacob Wilson: 7 years and $70 million (signed January 2026)
4. Ke’Bryan Hayes: 8 years and $70 million (signed April 2022)
5. Lawrence Butler: 7 years and $65.5 million (signed March 2025)
6. Ezequiel Tovar: 7 years and $63.5 million (signed March 2024)

Crow-Armstrong, 24 on Wednesday, played his first full MLB season in 2025 and joined Sammy Sosa as the only 30-30 players in Cubs history while playing Gold Glove-winning defense in center field. He slashed .247/.287/.481 with 31 homers and 35 steals, and ranked fourth among all players with 21 outs above average defensively. It added up to a 5.4 WAR season and MVP votes.

Now that he’s made the leap from exciting prospect to All-Star, the Cubs locked up Crow-Armstrong and made him the centerpiece of their roster moving forward. How did he get here? What does he have to do to get better? And what’s next for the Cubs? Let’s dig into all that now.

How PCA unlocked his power

The Gold Glove defense and stolen bases were expected. The power is what took Crow-Armstrong from good role player and No. 9 hitter to legitimate star. He’d never hit more than 20 home runs in a season in the minors before clubbing 31 in the majors last year. He showed off that power with a two-homer game in the World Baseball Classic earlier this month:

To get into his power, Crow-Armstrong adjusted his setup at the plate last season, specifically widening his feet and getting a little deeper into the box. His feet were 28.1 inches apart in 2024, per Statcast. In 2025, it was 33.7 inches, putting him in the top 25% of the league. That helped him move his intercept point (i.e. where the bat makes contact with the ball) up two inches, or about 33%.

OK, great, so what does that mean? In English, Crow-Armstrong is now catching the ball further out in front of the plate, to use an old baseball adage. That has allowed him to pull the ball in the air more — his pulled fly ball rate went from 19.3% in 2024 (a tick higher than the 16.7% league average) all the way up to 30.2% in 2025. Here are the 2025 pulled fly ball rate leaders:

1. Isaac Paredes: 38.5%
2. Cal Raleigh: 38.4%
3. Spencer Torkelson: 31.8%
4. Max Muncy: 31.5%
5. Kyle Schwarber: 31.1%
6. José Ramírez: 30.9%
7. Pete Crow-Armstrong: 30.9%

That’s a pretty good list of names there. I know pulling the ball has a bit of a stigma because of the (now banned) infield shift, but it’s the best way to hit for power. Last year, balls pulled in the air produced a .612 batting average and 1.329 slugging percentage. Crow-Armstrong began pulling the ball in the air at an elite rate last season and the home runs followed.

Gold Glove defense in center field would have gotten Crow-Armstrong paid no matter what, but without last year’s power spike, his earning potential would have been capped. Defense pays only so much. Crow-Armstrong tweaked his setup at the plate, connected with the ball a split second sooner, and became a 31-homer player. That’s what earned him this contract extension.

What he needs to do next

The power is there, the stolen bases are there, and the defense is there. The next hurdle for Crow-Armstrong is fine-tuning his plate discipline and being more selective. The man likes to swing, so much so that it’s a detriment. Last season, he swung at 41.4% of pitches out of the zone, the fifth-highest rate in baseball and well above the 28.0% league average.

Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 was a tale of two seasons. He hit .265/.302/.544 in the first half and only .216/.262/.372 in the second half. It’s easy to think that, well, pitchers figured him out, and fed him pitches out of the zone and got him to chase. That’s not really what happened, though. Crow-Armstrong had a lower chase rate in the second half (37.6%) than he did in the first half (43.7%).

The second-half slump was the product of a mechanical issue, not a chase issue. He was getting too wide with his stance and too long with his stride, assistant hitting coach John Mallee told The Athletic last month. “He was accelerating in his stride, covering too much ground, which kind of made him a little long, and he was mis-hitting balls,” Mallee said.

Getting the swing right is a constant battle not unique to Crow-Armstrong. Every hitter goes through it. For him to get to the next level, though, Crow-Armstrong has to rein in that chase at least a little bit. It is really, really hard to be a productive hitter with a 40% chase rate. That much chase is something pitchers can exploit, leading to a lot of swings and misses and weak contact.

Realistically, Crow-Armstrong will never be a plate discipline savant with a near-20% chase rate like Cubs teammates Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. A realistic goal is pulling that chase rate down into the 35% range. That’s where productive hitters like Bo Bichette, Bryce Harper, and Julio Rodríguez reside. You can chase 35% of the time and be a perennial All-Star. At 40%, it’s much harder.

The goal is not drawing more walks (though the Cubs would certainly take them). Walks are a byproduct of plate discipline, not the goal. The point of plate discipline is swinging at better pitches and giving yourself the best chance to do damage. That’s what’s left for Crow-Armstrong to master. If he controls the zone better, it just might turn him into the game’s best center fielder.

More extensions ahead for Cubs?

The Cubs have a history of extending their best players. Crow-Armstrong joins Happ and Nico Hoerner as players who broke into the big leagues with the Cubs and signed extensions that delayed free agency. I would guess right-hander Cade Horton is next on the team’s extension to-do list. Possibly first baseman Michael Busch and closer Daniel Palencia as well.

The upcoming offseason is an important one for the Cubbies because they have a lot — A LOT — of core players coming up on free agency. The list includes Happ, Hoerner, Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon. My guess, and I emphasize this is only a guess, is that Hoerner is the top priority among that group because his elite contact/elite defense/elite makeup skill set is so valuable.

Convincing a young player like Crow-Armstrong to take guaranteed millions years before free agency is one thing. Convincing a player who’s already made some money in his career to pass up free agency when he’s just a few months short of reaching the open market is another. I’m sure the Cubs will try to extend Hoerner and Suzuki at least. Whether they get it done is another matter.

Crawley Town have named former Derby County, Brighton and Sheffield United forward Colin Kazim-Richards as their new head coach.

The 39-year-old – who has been involved in the youth set-up at Arsenal – takes over after the club parted company with Scott Lindsey on Monday.

Lindsey departed after a 10-match winless run in League Two, from which Crawley took just five points to leave them two places and a point above the relegation zone.

Kazim-Richards retired from playing in 2023 after a spell at Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, with Celtic, Fenerbahce, Toulouse, Galatasaray, Olympiakos, Bursaspor, Feyenoord and Brazilian club Corinthians among his former clubs

He made 37 international appearances for Turkey, scoring twice, after making his debut in 2007.

Crawley owner Raphael Khalili told the club website, external: “Following a thorough and highly competitive recruitment process, Colin distinguished himself as an outstanding candidate.

“He is a natural leader with extensive experience in the dressing room and we firmly believe he is the right person to guide the club forward at this important time.”

File image of Antoine Griezmann.© AFP

Soccer fans have launched a formal complaint with the European Commission against FIFA over World Cup ticket prices. Football Supporters Europe (FSE) said on Tuesday it joined with consumer group Euroconsumers to allege soccer’s world governing body had abused its position to impose excessive prices. FSE accused FIFA of a “monumental betrayal” in December when tickets were put on general sale ranging from $140 for the cheapest group games to $8,680 for the final. The cheapest tickets for the final were $4,185 but all prices are subject to change as FIFA is employing dynamic pricing for the first time at the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“FIFA holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market,” FSE and Euroconsumers said in a joint statement.

Following a backlash from fans in December, FIFA slashed some ticket prices to $60 for every round through to the final, which teams could distribute to their most loyal fans.

Beside the exorbitant prices, FSE also claimed FIFA deployed pressure selling tactics and cricitized the transparency of the process.

It has called for prices to be frozen during the next round of sales in April and for dynamic pricing to be stopped when selling to fans in Europe.

“Dynamic pricing turns fans’ loyalty into a bidding war, inflates costs without added value, and locks out many supporters,” said Els Bruggeman, head of policy and enforcement at Euroconsumers.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in January that the demand for tickets was the equivalent of “1,000 years of World Cups at once”. He said all 104 matches at the World Cup would be sold out, meaning “tickets will probably be resold at even higher prices.”

FSE was also critical of FIFA’s official resale platform, which has seen tickets listed well in excess of their face value and from which the governing body takes a 30% cut from any sale.

“FIFA point to their unconfirmed sales figures as validation of their unfair ticket practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out,” said Ronan Evain, executive director for FSE.

FIFA told the Associated Press that it had not formally received the complaint. It added that as a not-for-profit organization, revenue from the World Cup was reinvested to grow soccer.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola is out of contract at the end of June with Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Athletic Bilbao all linked with the 43-year-old

Manchester United will encounter competition from Crystal Palace should they attempt to appoint Andoni Iraola this summer. Iraola’s deal with Bournemouth is due to expire at the end of June and the 43-year-old is already generating considerable interest.

Iraola has yet to reach a decision on whether he will remain with the Cherries beyond the conclusion of the season.

His potential availability has sparked speculation he could secure a prestigious position elsewhere, with United, Tottenham, Palace and Athletic Bilbao amongst those keen on his services.

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United will appoint a long-term replacement for Ruben Amorim this summer, with Michael Carrick potentially in the running, having secured seven victories from his 10 matches in charge as interim head coach.

Palace need to replace the outgoing Oliver Glasner, Athletic Club need to identify a successor to Ernesto Valverde, who recently confirmed he will depart the club at the end of the season, and Spurs face uncertainty around their managerial situation.

READ MORE: Casemiro was willing to take pay cut before Man United move in offer that speaks volumesREAD MORE: 10 Manchester United players set for extra training during international break

Iraola has earned a superb reputation after guiding Bournemouth to 12th and ninth in his first two seasons in the Premier League. Despite losing several influential players in the summer transfer window, he has the Cherries on track for another creditable finish, with the south coast side currently 13th and unbeaten in 11 matches.

The Telegraph reports that his achievements with Bournemouth have caught Palace’s attention, who have been aware since January that they must find Glasner’s replacement in the summer.

Iraola is regarded as one of the finest young managers in the league, and Palace will attempt to lure him with another ‘project’, rather than a more demanding position higher up the table.

Iraola is expected to attract interest from Athletic Club, who require Valverde’s successor in the summer. Iraola made more than 500 appearances for his hometown club, and that sentimental bond could outweigh alternative opportunities, though former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has been heavily linked with the vacancy.

Meanwhile, United’s hierarchy have yet to enter discussions with any potential new managers, partly because of Carrick’s influence as interim boss. Director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada are comfortable taking their time and could consequently lose out on Iraola, who has remained tight-lipped about his intentions.

“Definitely [closer to a decision]. It is something we will decide sooner rather than later, but there is no news,” Iraola stated earlier this month when he was asked about his future. “When there is something to say, we will say it.”

When pressed for more, he added: “I have one thing clear, the club and me are very open. We talk a lot and very sincerely. We have open conversations, but obviously we cannot say here, outside, what we are telling inside. I think that’s how we should work.

“I have a great relationship with [technical director] Simon [Francis] and [president of football operations] Tiago [Pinto]. Everything is fine between us. We have things that we discuss, but they are internal conversations.”

England’s 2026 World Cup kits

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Soaring World Cup ticket prices have pushed European fans to file a complaint against FIFA.

“The cheapest openly available final tickets now start at $4,185,” the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group said. That’s around €3,400 — and “more than seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket,” the group said in statement.

FSE filed the complaint with the European Commission, accusing FIFA of “excessive ticket prices” and “unfair purchasing conditions” and calling it an “abuse of its monopoly position.”

“They leave loyal fans with no other choice — pay up or lose out,” FSE’s executive director said.

€163,000 for a single seat

As of Tuesday, resale sites like Viagogo and SeatPick listed single final-match seats for as much as €163,000 (about $190,000)

In Mexico — one of the World Cup’s three co-hosts — reselling tickets above face value is prohibited, but only for those purchased domestically in local currency. In the United States and Canada, by contrast, resale markets remain largely unregulated.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, defended the high prices as a reflection of the high demand.

“In the US in particular, there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down” depending on the match, he said.

FSE, however, argues that “dynamic pricing” lacks safeguards, with no cap on how high prices can rise.

Cheap tickets were ‘so scarce’

At the end of last year, FIFA introduced $60 (€52) tickets, making up 10% of each qualifying team’s allocation. National associations manage distribution, prioritizing loyal supporters through their own rules.

“In practice, [the $60 tickets] were so scarce that the entire Category 4 inventory was practically sold out before general public sales opened,” FSE said.

Beyond the six-figure cost of a final ticket, FSE said FIFA’s bid documents projected an average ticket price of about $1,400 per seat — but “that number has been left far behind,” the group said.

EU called to step in

Lobby group Euroconsumers, which filed the complaint jointly with FSE, demanded action from the European Union.

“We are calling on the European Commission to intervene immediately with interim measures to halt these exploitative practices before the 2026 tournament begins.” 

The European Commission confirmed it has received the complaint and will assess it under standard procedures.

Although the World Cup takes place in North America, the Commission can intervene because FIFA’s ticketing practices affect European consumers. No deadline has been set for the review.

Largest World Cup ever

The tournament is set to begin June 11 and will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams instead of 32. Fans will be buying tickets for a total of 104 matches.

Despite the high prices, demand remains strong: FIFA said the latest sales phase saw more than half a billion ticket requests for this year’s expanded tournament.

Editor: Sean Sinico