Chicago Cubs News: Arrieta isn’t headed to the O’s, and who will close?

The idea of people saying the Chicago Cubs free agent Jake Arrieta is going to Baltimore is preposterous. He might not stay with the Cubs, but he’s not going to end up in Baltimore.

The chatter about Chicago Cubs‘ free agent Jake Arrieta is more about where he will end up, and not if it’s with the Cubs. That might be true. But with all the possible landing spots for Arrieta, his former team in Baltimore isn’t likely to be one of them. His time there wasn’t full of fond memories, which athletes don’t forget. And the Orioles aren’t a free-spending team, even with the need for a top-tier starting pitcher. You can likely cross Baltimore off the list, well before Chicago.

The Cubs’ Wade Davis is a free-agent this year. The Cubs, per performances down the stretch, don’t have a closer in waiting. So the hope is that they’ll find a way (i.e., pony up the money), and keep Davis. But if they didn’t, who would take over on an “emergency” basis? There’s potential in the bullpen, but also a lot of questions. Could they hand the ball back to Hector Rondon? What about Pedro Strop? Or maybe even a save by committee would be best.

Through some of the tough years in Chicago, they had some good players. Two of those that you might have forgotten about was Derrek Lee and Ryan Dempster. Lee came over from the Marlins after playing a villain in the 2003 NLCS. He was a consistent performer for the Cubs for the near six years he sent in Chicago. Dempster went from starter to closer, then back starter. He’s still a part of Cubs’ baseball, thanks to the trade with the Rangers that brought them Kyle Hendricks.

These and other stories you might have missed:

‘Arrieta going to Baltimore is absolutely insane’ – Cubbies Crib

‘If all else fails, who would close in 2018?’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Two fan favorites from the 2000’s’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Cobb a fit for Cubs’ rotation’ – Call to the Pen

‘Pitch or hit for Otani–or both?’ – MLB.com

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