#2 Extend Arrieta’s contract
If there was ever a time to talk to Jake Arrieta about his contract, it is now. While he performed well this year, he was a shadow of his 2015 self. He even admitted to not being able to repeat his delivery and lost the feel for his pitches. His road number were fantastic, but he was the third best pitcher on the staff.
That should be enough for him to lower his asking price. A bit. That could help the team sign better players and help solidify the pitching staff. Arrieta is eligible for arbitration.
However, the Cubs also need to address the contract for Kyle Hendricks soon. Currently, the Cy Young Finalist makes $541,000 per season. If they can get Arrieta to drop his price, they can address other needs in 2018.