Jake Arrieta is reportedly open to signing a contract extension with the Cubs, but it could take one of the larger deals in recent memory to make it happen.
Back in January, Arrieta avoided arbitration by agreeing to a contract worth a little over $15 million for the upcoming season, which could be his final one in a Cubs uniform. The right-hander is eligible to become a free agent after the season and would have no shortage of potential suitors.
In terms of what a long-term deal for Arrieta may look like, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports says the belief is Arrieta is seeking a deal similar to the one received by Max Scherzer. In 2015, Washington signed Scherzer to a seven-year pact worth $210 million.
Since arriving in Chicago via a trade with the Orioles in 2013, Arrieta has gone 54-21 with a 2.52 ERA over 98 starts. He has also thrown no-hitters in each of the past two seasons, made his only All-Star Game appearance, and won a National League Cy Young Award.
Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks are the only starters Chicago has under contract after the 2017 season. If Arrieta departs for money or years the Cubs won’t match, that will be one more spot in the rotation the team has to fill heading into next season.
