After Jake Arrieta's historic run during the second half of the 2015 MLB season, rumors surfaced regarding the Chicago Cubs signing him to a lucrative contract extension. Those rumors gained more traction at the general managers meetings.
The Cubs are expected to sign a high-profile free agent starting pitcher to add formidable depth behind Arrieta and Jon Lester, but perhaps many are overlooking the fact that Chicago hopes to lock up Arrieta long-term.
"We're going to be talking about that as the offseason unfolds, about Jake," Boras told Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. "I would say it's fair to say the Cubs are pleased with Jake. And I'm sure Jake is happy playing there so we have to see where it goes."
"This is a whole new phase for Cubs ownership," Boras added. "It's a championship phase. It's not a rebuilding phase, it's a championship phase. How owners react to that and what they do is a completely different thought process."
This is particularly surprising coming from Boras because he is notoriously known to wait until his clients hit free agency before beginning long-term contract talks. Arrieta, 29, is in his second year of arbitration eligibility and won't become a free agent until after the 2017 season.
Additionally, he openly criticized the Cubs for keeping another one of his clients, Kris Bryant, in the minors to begin the 2015 season as rumors suggested the reason was due to service time considerations.
However, a long-term deal can be beneficial for both sides. For one, Arrieta will turn 30 before the season starts, so such a contract would give him financial stability just one season after he exceeded his career-high in innings pitched for a season by 72. On the other hand, the Cubs will likely save money in the long run since the right-hander is due an enormous raise this offseason and more than likely another after 2016, which would put him in line for a huge free agent contract if he keeps pitching well.
"The Cubs will try to lock up Jake Arrieta long-term this winter," Jon Heyman of CBS Sports added earlier today. "That makes sense from both sides, as Arrieta has transformed from a struggling quadruple-A player to superstar in two short years."
Arrieta went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 236 strikeouts in 33 starts (229 innings) this past season. He and former Los Angeles Dodgers starter Zack Greinke are the frontrunners for the NL Cy Young award and Arrieta might have the edge due to his performance to close out the season (12- 1, 0.75 ERA in 15 starts).
Stay tuned for updates on the potential contract talks between the Cubs and Arrieta.
