Levine: Jake Arrieta Unsure Of Long-Term Cubs Contract
By Bruce Levine--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Reigning National League Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta is unsure about a long-term commitment between himself and the Chicago Cubs.
The deadline to exchange numbers on a one-year arbitration deal is Friday. Teams and arbitration-eligible players like Arrieta have until Feb. 1 to agree on a contract figure. If the sides can't agree to terms, they must go in front of an independent arbitrator to decide which figure best represents the comparable contracts for accomplishment and service time.
Arrieta made a little more than $3.6 million in 2015, and he's in line for a figure that could triple that number of last year. The prudent move to make would be for both sides to agree on a long-term contract now. This would eliminate an attempt by Arrieta to try to improve on a season that was one of the most dominant in recent baseball history. A five- or six-year agreement would allow him to get a lifetime of security for his family.
Both sides have some issues to deal with here. In the case of the Cubs, the 30-year-old Arrieta had a career-high in innings pitched during 2015. Including the postseason, he threw 248 2/3 innings -- topping his previous career-high by 92 innings. That simple fact of hugely increased workloads makes general mangers nervous across the game going into the following season.
Arrieta was arguably the single best pitcher in baseball in 2015. He won a league-high 22 games while posting 1.77 ERA. Seasons like the one Arrieta had aren't expected or anticipated.
Rumblings of a long-term deal have been floated in certain areas. Traveling with the Cubs Caravan Thursday afternoon, Arrieta was told by a reporter that team president of baseball operations Theo Epstein wanted to get a long-term deal done. Arrieta is under team control through 2017.
"He hasn't told me that," Arrieta responded. "I don't think it's out of the question, but I don't know if its in the question, either."
Arrieta seemed confident a one-year resolution could be reasonably agreed upon. Could the process for an agreement be difficult?
" I wouldn't think so," he said. "I think the information is kind of out there on comparable. I think with that in mind, both sides are pretty smart and have done this a time or two. I think it will get worked out."
As for the Cubs, they may want to see Arrieta dominate the league one more time before forking over a huge multi-year deal like the six-year, $206.5-million deal Zack Greinke received from the Diamondbacks.
Arrieta's agent, Scott Boras, is considered the toughest and brightest negotiator in the business. Normally, he prefers his clients go through the six-year process of service time to reach the open market before signing mega-deals. A late bloomer, Arrieta may want to cut through that red tape and get a deal now.
"I really don't know where this is at," Arrieta said about either a short- or long-term deal. "I am just waiting on some phone calls. I try to stay out of it to the very end. Obviously, things are going to work out. This has never really been a concern of mine. They might be having talks. I don't want all the details coming out until until something is ready to go."
The Cubs rotation has Jon Lester under contract another four years, John Lackey for two seasons and Arrieta for two more. Fourth starter Jason Hammel will be pitching in the last season of a two-year, $20-million deal.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
