Pete Crow-Armstrong's massive payday serves as brutal warning Reds can't ignore

On Monday evening, the Chicago Cubs reportedly agreed to a long-term extension with centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. The contract details have yet to be released, but you can bet that it's worth more than the $75 million deal Chicago tried to offer PCA last spring. The Cubs star ultimately decided to bet on himself last season and put terrific numbers.

Crow-Armstrong earned a trip to the All-Star Game with a .265/.302/.544 slash line during the first-half of the season. His number tailed off after the Midsummer Classic, but he still finished ninth in the NL MVP voting and earned earned his first Gold Glove Award.

The Cincinnati Reds cannot sit idly by and allow the Cubs to be the only team in the National League Central to lock up their young stars. Though an Elly De La Cruz extension may be out of reach, the Reds certainly have a chance to lock up either Matt McLain or Sal Stewart on a long-term deal.

Cubs extension with Pete Crow-Armstrong provides a blueprint for the Reds

The Reds took the same path the Cubs went down last spring. It was reported that Cincinnati offered both De La Cruz and McLain long-term extensions, but neither infielder agreed to the proposed deals. The notion of signing De La Cruz to an extension has all but evaporated — especially with Scott Boras as his agent. McLain, however, could be more amenable to a long-term deal.

McLain, much like PCA, decided to forgo a long-term deal last spring and bet on himself. The gamble didn't pay off, however, and McLain posted a mediocre .220/.300/.343 slash line. Nevertheless, the Reds still have faith in McLain, and after a torrid spring in Goodyear, Cincinnati may try yet again to secure their budding young star to a contract extension.

As for Stewart, PCA's deal with the Cubs serves as a warning to the Reds. While no one knows the intricate details of last spring's negotiations between Chicago's front office and Crow-Armstrong, one can assume the Cubs were trying to secure some sort of bargain. PCA, however, was obviously looking for market-value, and no doubt secured it with his newly-minted contract extension.

The Boston Red Sox locked up their franchise cornerstone Roman Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million deal. While Stewart may not deserve that type of payday, a contract offer somewhere between the $75 million deal PCA rejected and Anthony's $130 million extension would probably be enough to get the Reds top prospect to sign on the dotted line. How about $102 million over eight years?

These types of contracts are only going to get more expensive. If either McLain or Stewart put up the type of numbers most experts believe they're capable of, what could've been a moderately-priced extension suddenly becomes an unaffordable contract for the small-market Reds. Cincinnati's brass cannot allow that to happen, and needs to sign one of their young stars to a long-term deal.