Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that the Philadelphia Phillies and RHP Jake Arrieta are “having dialogue.”
Arrieta has a draft pick attached to him and is looking for a long-term contract as he’s just 31 years old. However, according to Heyman, the Phillies would prefer a shorter-term contract and this is a sticking point in the talks.
After winning the Cy Young Award in 2015 when he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA, 2.35 FIP and three shutouts, Arrieta’s numbers have regressed since then. He went 18-8 with a 3.10 ERA and 3.52 FIP in 2016, then 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA and 4.16 FIP last season. He has also led the National League in wild pitches each of the last two seasons with 16 and 14 after recording just six in his Cy Young season.
Arrieta’s 2015 season was one of the best for a starting pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw in recent memory. However, as he has failed to come close to that production, it is not surprising that the Phillies would like a shorter-term contract.
With that in mind, as well as the draft pick compensation attached to him, it remains to be seen if Arrieta gets the long-term monster contract he desires.
