Talks of Jake Arrieta leaving the Chicago Cubs in free agency after the 2017 season are already heating up, so let’s take a look at where he could end up.
At 25-7 (second-half of a doubleheader pending), the Chicago Cubs currently sit with the best record in all of baseball. Their explosive offense lead by Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant obviously has a lot to do with their success, but there is not a more important player on that team than ace pitcher Jake Arrieta.
After a historic second-half, Arrieta was the clear choice for the National League Cy Young award last season, and he has started out 2016 just as hot. Highlighted by a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on April 21st, Arrieta currently sits with a flawless 6-0 record with a league-leading 1.13 ERA, while allowing an also league-leading 4.9 hits per nine innings.
With incredible raw stuff and impeccable command over all of his pitches, Arrieta has been just as good this year as he was in his historic 2015 season. An argument could be made for a couple of other guys, but there is no doubt in my mind, Jake Arrieta is the best pitcher in baseball.
Arrieta has received a ton of attention for all of his success, and some people are already starting to look ahead to his free agency. Arrieta is making $10.7 million this season and will undoubtedly get paid large in his last year in arbitration next season. However after that, the then 31-year-old Arrieta will reach free agency for the first time in his career. As you can imagine, the suitors will be lining up.
Arrieta obviously wants to get paid, but he has made it clear that he loves Chicago. His recent comments on this topic to Jesse Rogers of ESPN are extremely interesting.
“The misconception is that Scott wants everyone to go to free agency,” Arrieta told Rogers of his agent, Scott Boras. “I made it clear I like Chicago. I think everyone knows that. If I had it my way, I’d stay here. That’s just one side of the story. We’ll see.”
Nice to hear for Cubs’ fans, but Rogers continued with, “When asked whether he’d give a hometown discount to the Cubs, Arrieta flatly said “no” while shaking his head.”
Arriets won’t be a free agent until 2017, but no hometown discount is coming for Theo Epstein and company. With Scott Boras as his agent, Arrieta is a fair bet to reach free agency, where each MLB team will have a chance to bid on the star. The money could quickly get out of hand, but who will be the contenders?
Next: Los Angeles Dodgers