MESA, Ariz. - National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta said Tuesday he has talked with the Chicago Cubs about a long-term contract extension.
''Money can only make you so happy,'' Arrieta said, speaking a day before his scheduled spring training debut. ''I love my teammates, and I love Chicago. Those are more important than the contract extension for me.
Arrieta is seeking at least a a six- to seven-year extension, but he doesn't want his contract situation to be a focal point with the season right around the corner.
"Guys have reiterated not to let it bother you, and it hasn't," Arrieta added. "It's a natural progression of where I'm at in my career and what I've been able to do. It comes with the territory. It's not much of a distraction for me, and I don't want it to be a distraction for anyone in this clubhouse."
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein called initial extension talks a "great exchange of ideas," but cautioned an extension might not be a priority with Arrieta still under club control through the 2017 season.
"There will be quiet moments out of the competitive spotlight in the future where it will make sense to talk again," Epstein said. "It's not something going on now or will as the season begins."
Arrieta went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA last season and agreed last month to a $10.7-million, one-year deal that avoided salary arbitration.
- With files from theScore
