Cubs Star Crow-Armstrong's $75M Deal Dreams Hit Contract Deadlock

Max Sterling, 4/13/2025From a deadly DUI collision in Riverside to baseball's business ballet with Crow-Armstrong's Cubs negotiations, and the Red Sox's pitching predicament with Fitts's shoulder woes – it's a sobering reminder that whether on roads or diamonds, decisions pack consequences that ripple far beyond the moment.

The driver of that pickup — 32-year-old Daniel Dubois from Norco — crossed paths with an oncoming Volkswagen in a collision that left one family forever changed. The Volkswagen's driver, a 46-year-old whose name hasn't been released (pending that dreaded notification to family members), died at the scene. Dubois? He wound up in handcuffs after hospital staff connected the dots on his condition.

Speaking of dots that aren't quite connecting — the Chicago Cubs and their defensive whiz Pete Crow-Armstrong have hit the pause button on extension talks. Those whispers about a $75 million deal? Pure speculation, apparently. The 23-year-old center fielder, who turned heads with a .670 OPS last season, remains under team control through 2030 — though that hasn't stopped both sides from testing the waters this spring.

Baseball insiders suggest it's just smart business to explore options, even when the odds of striking a deal seem about as likely as finding a parking spot at Wrigley on game day. The front office and Crow-Armstrong's representatives have been dancing around numbers since spring training kicked off, but sometimes these talks need to simmer on the back burner for a while.

Meanwhile, up in Boston, the Red Sox can't catch a break. Their promising arm Richard Fitts left Saturday's White Sox matchup with shoulder issues — right after dealing five scoreless innings, no less. Talk about timing. The Sox were nursing a 2-0 lead when Fitts departed, only to watch it dissolve into a 3-2 loss.

"He's going to Boston tomorrow," Red Sox skipper Alex Cora said, mastering the art of understated concern. "We'll see where we're at. He's going to get an MRI on Monday and we'll go from there." With Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello already running rehab laps in Triple-A Worcester, Fitts's 13 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA through three starts had been a bright spot in an increasingly cloudy rotation picture.

The Sox might need to get creative with their pitching solutions — and fast. Baseball has a funny way of testing depth charts just when they seem most vulnerable. Perhaps it's time to dust off those emergency starter plans gathering cobwebs in Cora's office.

These three storylines — each distinct yet somehow connected by the thread of human decision-making — remind us that split-second choices, whether behind the wheel or behind the negotiating table, carry weight far beyond their immediate moment. Some decisions leave permanent scars; others just leave us wondering what might have been.

A devastating drunk driving incident in Riverside Thursday night serves as yet another grim reminder that some lessons, no matter how often repeated, seem destined for tragic replays. Around 9:30 p.m., what should have been a routine drive home turned fatal when a pickup truck hauling a horse trailer made an ill-fated turn on Washington Street.The driver of that pickup — 32-year-old Daniel Dubois from Norco — crossed paths with an oncoming Volkswagen in a collision that left one family forever changed. The Volkswagen's driver, a 46-year-old whose name hasn't been released (pending that dreaded notification to family members), died at the scene. Dubois? He wound up in handcuffs after hospital staff connected the dots on his condition.Speaking of dots that aren't quite connecting — the Chicago Cubs and their defensive whiz Pete Crow-Armstrong have hit the pause button on extension talks. Those whispers about a $75 million deal? Pure speculation, apparently. The 23-year-old center fielder, who turned heads with a .670 OPS last season, remains under team control through 2030 — though that hasn't stopped both sides from testing the waters this spring.Baseball insiders suggest it's just smart business to explore options, even when the odds of striking a deal seem about as likely as finding a parking spot at Wrigley on game day. The front office and Crow-Armstrong's representatives have been dancing around numbers since spring training kicked off, but sometimes these talks need to simmer on the back burner for a while.Meanwhile, up in Boston, the Red Sox can't catch a break. Their promising arm Richard Fitts left Saturday's White Sox matchup with shoulder issues — right after dealing five scoreless innings, no less. Talk about timing. The Sox were nursing a 2-0 lead when Fitts departed, only to watch it dissolve into a 3-2 loss."He's going to Boston tomorrow," Red Sox skipper Alex Cora said, mastering the art of understated concern. "We'll see where we're at. He's going to get an MRI on Monday and we'll go from there." With Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello already running rehab laps in Triple-A Worcester, Fitts's 13 strikeouts and 3.18 ERA through three starts had been a bright spot in an increasingly cloudy rotation picture.The Sox might need to get creative with their pitching solutions — and fast. Baseball has a funny way of testing depth charts just when they seem most vulnerable. Perhaps it's time to dust off those emergency starter plans gathering cobwebs in Cora's office.These three storylines — each distinct yet somehow connected by the thread of human decision-making — remind us that split-second choices, whether behind the wheel or behind the negotiating table, carry weight far beyond their immediate moment. Some decisions leave permanent scars; others just leave us wondering what might have been.