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Five best moves Theo Epstein has made as Cubs president

By Nathaniel Reeves

June 15, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
June 15, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein before the game against the Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning in game two of the NLCS at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta throws a pitch against the New York Mets in the first inning in game two of the NLCS at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

5) The Jake Arrieta trade

Adding Jon Lester in free agency prior to last season was undoubtedly a great move from Epstein and set the tone for the organization. However, it was not the best move Epstein has made during his time with Chicago in regards to starting pitching.

Epstein got an absolute steal in July of 2013, trading Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Pedro Strop and Arrieta. We obviously have the benefit of hindsight on a deal that didn’t look nearly so bad for Baltimore at the time, but Arrieta’s breakout is arguably the biggest reason the Cubs were so successful in 2015.

The Cubs and Epstein saw something in Arrieta, a longtime hyped prospect who never put it all together in Baltimore. With the help of outstanding pitching coach Chris Bosio, Arrieta transformed into one of the most dominant pitchers in the game over the next two years.

Arrieta broke out in his first full season in Chicago, posting career bests in just about every category, including a strong 2.53 ERA. He followed that up with a historic 2015 campaign by a 1.77 ERA (2.35 FIP) per FanGraphs.com while winning the NL Cy Young Award.

Trading for a future Cy Young Award winner in exchange for very little certainly qualifies as one of the best moves of Epstein’s tenure. The Arrieta deal will be remembered as one of the most lopsided recent trades in the majors for years to come.

Next: Trading for Anthony Rizzo

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