The Cubs avoided an arbitration hearing with Jake Arrieta.
AP reported that the sides agreed to a $10.7 million salary for the
2016 season. That marks the highest salary on a one-year deal for a
pitcher with four years of service, the AP notes. Arrieta and the Cubs
were set to go before an independent arbitrator but now can simply focus
on the season ahead.
Arrieta, 29, is in his second of three years of arbitration
eligibility. He had filed for $13 million while the Cubs countered at
$7.5 million. The $5.5 million gap was the largest among players who did
not come to terms with their respective teams by the January deadline.
The $10.7 million salary is $450,000 above the midpoint between the two
submitted figures.
Theo Epstein has prided himself on the fact that he does not take his players to hearings. They settle.
Players often come out of contested arbitration hearings with negative attitudes towards their clubs because general managers have to present a "negative" case against them. However, having a team policy of "no hearings" does give the player's agent more leverage on a settlement deal.
The $10.7 million settlement is the highest arb deal, beating out David Price's $10.1 million.
Arrieta is being paid for an excellent 2015 campaign. He now becomes the ace of the staff. Whether he can stay healthy after a record number of innings pitched is going to be the key to the 2015 campaign. He threw 45 percent more innings in 2015 than in 2014.
Many people have thought that the Cubs now should try to lock up Arrieta on a long term deal. However, players will not give up the chance to test the free agent market. He becomes a free agent in 2018, so the Cubs have two more years of service time with him. The Cubs would rather use the limited budget resources to fill the roster gaps than pay Arrieta on a long term deal.
Clearly, the championship window has opened for the Cubs. It has a realistic two year window because that is how long they will control Arrieta.
