19: Jake Arrieta to the Cubs
The trade: Chicago Cubs received Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop
Baltimore received Scott Feldman, Steve Clevenger, and cash
Watching the NL Cy Young presentation must’ve stung for the Baltimore Orioles organization. Lacking a true ace but having a wealth of power hitters, imagine how good the Orioles would be if they had held on to Jake Arrieta. Instead, after witnessing Arrieta’s historic second half of the season for the Cubs, they are left wondering what could’ve been.
Arrieta was with the Orioles for four years. In 2012, he started the season 3-9 with a 6.13 ERA before being sent back down. The Orioles thought they were getting rid of dead weight when they gave him to the Cubs, but instead they gave them a future Cy Young winner.
Scott Feldman spent just one season in Baltimore, pitching to a 5-6 record with a 4.27 ERA before he got shipped off to the Astros. Steve Clevenger, meanwhile, has 2 home runs in 3 seasons with the Orioles. Do I need to bring up Arrieta’s numbers now? Okay, fine.
Arrieta’s second-half of the 2015 season was literally historic. After the All-Star break, he posted an ERA of 0.75 – the lowest mark in MLB history. He gave up a total of nine runs in 15 starts, amassing a 12-1 record. Outside of a complete-game shutout against the Pirates, Arrieta’s post-season numbers left much to be desired. However, that shouldn’t take away from his award-winning season, plus he’s in the prime of his career so he’ll adjust that sooner rather than later.
Next: 18: Joe Jackson to the Indians