Chicago Cubs: Why you shouldn’t worry about Arrieta’s contract

The Chicago Cubs Jake Arrieta has been in the news a lot lately. From his second no-hitter to PED allegations, and also his pending free agency. But there’s no reason for Cubs’ fans to be concerned.

If you read that introduction and are expecting me to say “don’t worry, the Cubs will sign Jake Arrieta”, this isn’t the article for you. I’m without a doubt a member of the party that wants to see the Cubs sign him to a long-term deal, but I fully understand the reasons why the team might be hesitant to do so. There are so many “pro” reasons to sign Arrieta, but one injury could derail all of that.

Two years ago I wrote about Scott Boras and his opinion that the Cubs weren’t spending enough. What a stunner that an agent would complain about such a thing. Boras complimented the Cubs on their work through the draft and player development, but that’s “not what’s expected when you have a (family) buy a major-market club.” If you read it, you’ll see I disagreed wholeheartedly.

Now with the Cubs in the thick of World Series chatter, Boras can’t wait to see just how much money he can make the Cubs–or someone else–spend for Arrieta’s services. But it is undeniable, he has fewer innings on his arm than most. My colleague David Hill at Call to the Pen recently wrote about the potential fall of Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. Both Arrieta and Hernandez are 30 years old. Clearly Arrieta had his struggles before he “arrived”, hence he didn’t pitch as often. The staggering difference? Arrieta – 831 1/3 IP. Hernandez – 2,295 IP. And that’s not taking into account Arrieta’s freakish workout routine.

The Cubs have Arrieta for this season and next (arbitration year). He’ll most certainly get another raise if things continue as they have and it will be well deserved. Will the Cubs have won a World Series by then? There’s no telling. It would appear that they will be in a position to contend for the near future. Will other free agent pitchers be knocking down the door to pitch for the Cubs? It sounds good, but money talks–Boras has made that clear.

When 2017 finishes up, the Cubs are sure to have the money to sign Arrieta should they choose to do so. The Cubs will still have most of their key players under control, and won’t have to worry about more spending till a few years after. With all the renovations and additions to Wrigley Field and the surrounding area, the money will be there.

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All I can say is trust in the plan. I’ve said it many times over the past five years. When the Cubs were losing 100 games and finishing last in the division? Trust the plan. When they unloaded the successful players for minor leaguers and picks? Trust the plan. It’s culminated in this team on the field this year. So whether Arrieta is a Cub for the next 10 years or just two, just believe in the plan. The Cubs still need to lock up their biggest free agent, Theo Epstein. Nothing would be possible without him and the rest of his team. Jake wins games on the field, but the brain trust has won it in the front office.