The Chicago Cubs and right-hander Jake Arrieta are close to reuniting on a one-year deal, a source told Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
Arrieta's contract will be worth $6 million, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports. The deal also contains another $1 million worth of performance bonuses, Jay Cohen of The Associated Press reports.
The 34-year-old turned down more money elsewhere to return to the North Side of Chicago, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Arrieta earned the 2015 National League Cy Young Award and then helped the Cubs win the World Series in 2016. He joined the Philadelphia Phillies as a free agent in 2018 and pitched with the team for three seasons.
He owns a 3.76 ERA with 1,350 strikeouts in over 1,513 innings across his 11-year career in the majors. He enjoyed his best seasons in Chicago where he posted a 2.73 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 128 starts between 2013-2017.
Since Jake Arrieta is going back to the Cubs, it's a good time to re-appreciate the absurd run he went on at one point between June '15 and June '16.
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) February 13, 2021
34 regular season GS
240 IP
1.20 ERA
2.16 FIP
0.80 WHIP
.159 opp. BA
2 no-hitters
The New York Mets were reportedly also interested in signing the veteran hurler.
