CHICAGO – Former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta is happy to return to his hottest city, saying Saturday that the Chicago Cubs are “where they wanted to be.”
Arrieta, 34, has signed a one-year, $ 6 million contract with the team he helped win the World Series title and will now be managed by his former wide receiver, David Ross.
“Playing for a manager who caught one of those who didn’t hit is great,” Arrieta said in a video call Saturday with reporters. “I wanted to be here. In the last few days here, she’s fine.”
Arrieta previously played for the Cubs from 2013 to 2017, winning the Cy Young Award in 2015, the same season’s wild card game and a World Series ring next year. Along the way, he launched two unplayed players, raising his game to be among the best in baseball.
But after signing a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018, his production and health dropped. His ERA increased from 3.96 in 2018 to 4.64 in 2019 and then to 5.08 in 2020. He dealt with a meniscus and bone spur problem in Philadelphia, but said he is now healthy.
“There are always things to prove,” Arrieta said. “It’s not that it’s in a negative way. In fact, it’s just to show that I’m capable of performing at a high level. The level I hope to perform at. The last three years haven’t lived up to my expectations.”
The Cubs were hoping to unlock the same things they did when Arrieta came from Baltimore as a regular pitcher in a mid-season deal in 2013. Some faces in the organization have changed, but many remain, giving them Arrieta’s level of comfort on his return.
“I never want to look like I’m not able to perform well (fill in the blank), but is it a little different here in Chicago?” Arrieta said. “Of course. Just being able to wear that uniform, wearing 49 at Wrigley Field again, will be very special.”
Ross added: “Jake is still a top pitcher in rotation. Sometimes, going back to well-known coaches, familiar places can lift your game.”
Arrieta played for teams in her hometown of Austin, Texas, during the winter, but remained in close contact with the chicks throughout the free agent process. After the team started cutting salaries, including trading beginner Yu Darvish, Arrieta wasn’t sure if there would be room for him.
“At first I thought it was less likely when these things started to happen,” Arrieta explained. “[Pero] your need to throw is there.
“It’s an unusual free agent market. Unlike anything we’ve seen in the past. Baseball is in a weird place. Teams have had to change the way they approach certain aspects of the game, and rightly so. [debido a preocupaciones financieras]”.
Arrieta returns to Chicago as a more experienced leader. He is already trying to share the wisdom of younger pitchers, indicating that he spent a lot of time with 25-year-old Adbert Alzolay.
“He’s coming with the territory,” Arrieta said. “You get to a point in your career where you expect to perform not only on the field, but also off the field. I’m proud of that.”
“He understands his presence,” Ross said.
Arrieta will definitely receive a warm welcome from Cubs fans, as it is a reminder of his glory years, although the team could be in transition right now. Arrieta wants to show them that he is the guy they remember dominating the competition on the road to a Cy Young and a championship.
“I have a lot in the tank,” Arrieta said. “I still have a lot to accomplish in this game. I’m excited it’s going to happen again in this Cubs uniform.”