Starlin Castro could be staying on the North side of Chicago for years to come. (Getty Images)

The Cubs' long-term plans apparently revolve around Starlin Castro, the team's ultra-talented but often maddening shortstop. CSNChicago.com's Dave Kaplan reports the team is talking to Castro about a long-term extension, while the Chicago Tribune reports its sources confirm the initial report.

According to Kaplan, the Cubs expect the deal to be worth six years or more and be finished before the end of the season. A six-year deal would buy out not only his three arbitration years, but also his first two years of free agency. Without an extension, Castro would hit the free agent market following the 2016 season.

The 22-year-old Castro was called up in May of 2010, giving him "Super Two" status, making him eligible for salary arbitration after this season. In his three seasons in the big leagues, Castro is a .296/.333/.422 hitter. This season he's hitting .276/.307/.422 with a career-high 12 home runs.

"They will know what their costs are for a significant amount of time going forward and for Castro, he will have lifetime security rather than going year-to-year during arbitration untile he completes six full years in the game," a source told Kaplan.

Castro is one of the game's most talented young players, but he's frustrated both Cubs manager Dale Sveum and his predecessor, Mike Quade with his penchant for losing focus at times. He's also not the smoothest fielding shortstop around, but a .300-hitting shortstop is an incredibly valuable commodity.

The NL Central has recently seen two other young stars sign pre-arbitration players to long-term deals, as both Cincinnati's Jay Bruce and Andrew McCutchen signed six-year deals worth $51 million and $51.5 million, respectively, before reaching arbitration. Arizona's Justin Upton also signed a six-year, $51 million deal. All three of those players are outfielders, so Castro's positional value should enable him to get more than those three (although, it should be noted those three are outstanding defensive players at their position, while Castro is not).

These deals are good for both sides, especially with the Cubs not having to deal with too many high-priced contracts on their books. For now, their only big contract on the books past next season is the $19 million owed to Alfonso Soriano for 2014. Two Cuban defectors, Jorge Soler and Gerrardo Concepcion are signed long-term, as well, but those were contracts given out by the current regime and combined cost only as much as the last two years of Soriano's deal. With Castro on the books, Theo Epstein will know exactly what he has to work with while trying to rebuild the franchise.

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