Cubs reportedly called Arrieta about six-year contract |
The end of the
Jake Arrieta era is officially over in Chicago.
However, Theo Epstein put in one final courtesy call to the free-agent pitcher out of respect according to MLB insider Jon Heyman. "Darvish was the focus by that point, but with some uncertainty about whether he’d take the deal, Epstein made the call to Arrieta to see where he stood," Heyman said. "And to no one’s surprise, while Arrieta surely appreciated the gesture, he wasn’t immediately prepared to accept a six-year deal for what was believed to be for a similar annual salary, which was important for the Cubs, who are intent on staying under the $197 million threshold that has become an impediment in the free-agent market." The Cubs did the right thing and gave it one last chance to see if there was a mutual interest but it appears that Scott Boras and Arrieta decided that they were not going to jump on the offer thinking they could get more per year from another ballclub. The late offer was just insurance for the Cubs if the Darvish deal fell through. The teams that are currently in the hunt for Arrieta's services include the Brewers, Nationals, Phillies, Twins, and Cardinals. In 2017, Arrieta had a 14-10 record with 3.53 ERA, 163 strikeouts, and 1.22 WHIP.
