CHICAGO – Shocking news from Wrigley Field shook the entire baseball world. Sources confirmed last night that Justin Steele, the ace pitcher of the Chicago Cubs, officially signed a 7-year, $105 million contract, making him the longest-tenured player in the team’s modern history.
“I don’t want to leave Chicago. This is where I grew up, where I sweated on the mound, where I feel I belong,” Steele shared in a choked-up press conference, as fans filled the stands of Wrigley Field.
According to sources from inside the Cubs, this is a deal completed after months of secret negotiations between the leadership and Steele’s agent. President Jed Hoyer called this “a historic turning point” when the team decided to anchor its biggest pillar right at the center of the rebuilding plan.
Steele, 29, was a top three Cy Young Award nominee in 2023 and is considered the most consistent pitcher in the National League. This season, he led the Cubs in ERA (2.71), wins and strikeout percentage.
Experts say this contract marks a change in the Cubs’ management philosophy – from hunting stars in the open market, to now focusing on building a sustainable empire around “Wrigley’s sons”.
Steele joined the Cubs system in 2014, growing up through the levels, standing in the cold rain in Iowa to practice throwing left-handed. Now, he has become a living symbol of the concept of “homegrown talent” that the team is redefining.
“When I see the stands lit up every night, I know I’m pitching not just for the team, but for this city,” Steele said, his voice trembling. “I don’t need Los Angeles, I don’t need New York. I just need Chicago.”
Those words were shared by thousands of fans on social media within minutes, along with the hashtag #SteeleForever #CubsFaithful.
The hundred-million-dollar contract is more than just a number – it’s a statement of the Cubs’ long-term vision. After years of struggle and rebuilding, the team seems to have found a new “fire keeper” to lead the next generation: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner and now Justin Steele – the trio expected to bring the Cubs back to the top of MLB.
ESPN commentators likened:
“If you want to understand what loyalty is in the era of billion-dollar contracts, look at Justin Steele. He didn’t sign for money, he signed for Wrigley.”
From today, Justin Steele is no longer just an ace pitcher – he becomes the face of the Cubs, the soul of Wrigley Field.
The team has officially locked him in through 2032, with a “Cubs Legacy Option” clause that will allow him to remain with the team as a technical advisor after he retires.
Chicago has had its fair share of icons—Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg—but now history has added another name etched into the brick walls of Wrigley:
Justin Steele—a man who won’t leave, because Chicago is home.
Leave a Reply