Former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta pricing Cubs out of potential reunion tour

Cubs fans would love to revisit 2016, but Jake Arrieta’s price tag suggests he feels differently.

Free agent pitcher Jake Arrieta is looking to land on an MLB team before the start of Spring Training. Just like Corey Kluber did earlier this offseason, Arrieta held a workout for interested teams and was said to look very good on the mound. One of the teams in attendance for the tryout were his former team, the Chicago Cubs.

Would a reunion actually take place? We are here to tell Cubs fans to not get your hopes up.

Jesse Rodgers, Cubs beat writer for ESPN, said that the Cubs signing Arrieta is “doubtful” due to the salary not matching up with what the organization is willing to spend.

Cubs have shown they’re not willing to spend big money this offseason

The news should not come as a shock, as the Cubs organization is in cost-cutting mode. Perhaps the area hit hardest was the starting rotation.

At the end of the postseason, the Cubs declined veteran Jon Lester’s option for the 2021 season, allowing him to hit the open market. Just last week, Lester signed with the Washington Nationals on a one-year, $5 million contract. Then, the Cubs opted to trade away NL Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres, allowing the remaining three-years, $59 million owed to him on his contract to be taken off the books.

Arrieta is obviously looking to cash in the way that Kluber did following showcase for interested teams. Shortly after the workout was finished, the former two-time AL Cy Young winner signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the New York Yankees. Arrieta getting a similar deal remains to be seen.

The 34-year-old pitcher has dealt with a variety of injuries in recent years with the Philadelphia Phillies. Arrieta would start nine games for the Phillies this past season, where he recorded a 5.08 ERA, a 1.511 WHIP and 32 strikeouts over 44.1 innings of work.

Sure, it would have been a great story for Arrieta to return to the team with which he won the NL Cy Young award and a World Series. But based off the Cubs’ financial strategy this offseason, a reunion does not look to be in the cards.