Arrieta won't attend Cubs' ceremonial White House visit

After avoiding arbitration with a brand new one-year, $15.64-million deal, Chicago Cubs starter Jake Arrieta will not join his teammates when they visit the White House and President Barack Obama on Monday.

Arrieta is dealing with multiple family issues, as his mother-in-law recovers from brain surgery and his son is scheduled to undergo dental surgery, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

The right-hander's decision not to attend the Cubs' World Series White House ceremony caught the attention of many, as Arrieta was scrutinized for a tweet he wrote in November. The 30-year-old told celebrities to "pony up and head for the border" after certain high-profile people said they would leave the country if Donald Trump were elected as president.

"People have opinions of me, but it's nothing about who is our president and who is not. It's just we (the family) have things to take care of. We have a lot going on. So I won't be going to that (visit)," Arrieta told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Arrieta added that "there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes people don't know about" regarding his family.