Jake Arrieta Confident Of Deal Before Arbitration, Vague On Whether That Could Be Long Term

(CBS) Cubs ace right-hander Jake Arrieta is optimistic he and the team will agree on a deal before reaching arbitration, for which hearings are held in February, but he was vague as to whether that might be a long-term contract.

Arrieta made just more than $3.6 million in 2015 and is due a big raise after a historic season that was marked by 22 wins, a 1.77 ERA and him winning the NL Cy Young award. Salary figures ahead of arbitration are set to be exchanged between the sides Friday, and Arrieta on Thursday indicated he and the Cubs are close to being on the same page.

Projections have him drawing $10 million or more for 2016 if it goes to arbitration.

"Obviously, things are going to work out," Arrieta said. "That's never really been a concern of mine. I just want the ball in my hand. I want to toe the slab and get after it, and the financial things will work themselves out."

Arrieta didn't reveal much about whether a long-term deal is being discussed between the Cubs and his agent, Scott Boras.

"They might be having (long-term) talks," Arrieta said. "I don't want all the details until something's ready to go.

"I'm just waiting for some phone calls. I try to stay to stay out of it until the very end and say, 'Where we at?' and then go from there."

If the Cubs and Arrieta went to arbitration, it'd be a change from habit. The Cubs have never gone to arbitration with a player since president of baseball operations Theo Epstein came to Chicago in October 2011.

Arrieta's under team control through 2017. Because Boras has a reputation for encouraging his clients to the open market for massive paydays, the more popular opinion has been that a long-term deal won't be reached this offseason.

For his part, Arrieta's had his eye on the big-money contracts that pitchers have signed recently, including Zack Greinke's six-year deal with the Diamondbacks that earns him $34 million annually.

"You know what type of money's out there," Arrieta said. "You know what the market is, but that doesn't things won't happen. But like I said, I'm going to be a Cub for the next two seasons, which I'm very excited about. And if it goes longer than that, then that'd be nice too."

"It shows how profitable the game is, how popular the game is among sports fans across the world, and seeing it firsthand in Chicago, the type of market that's here, the type of fan base that this team has all over the country -- I go from California to Florida, and there's fans everywhere in between, and it's just amazing to see.

"It doesn't necessarily surprise me when you look at all the variable and how the game's able to generate that kind of money. It's kind of crazy to think about the money that goes out, but it doesn't surprise me."