Chicago Cubs: Where does Jake Arrieta land now?

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Now that the Chicago Cubs have signed Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta may well be the best starting pitcher available in free agency. And yet, unlike fellow free agent pitchers Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn, there has been very little talk about potential suitors. Plenty of teams have been rumored as a landing spot, yet there has been little action.

That may now change. With Darvish off the board, and teams looking to find a player to help lead their rotation, Arrieta could find himself the center of attention. He may not be the same pitcher that Darvish is, but Arrieta could fit as a front of the rotation starter for quite a few teams.

There is a degree of concern with signing the former Cubs starter however. After his impressive Cy Young winning season in 2015, he has not been the same pitcher. Last year, Arrieta posted a decent 14-10 record with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.218 WHiP, but only threw 168.1 innings in his 30 starts. He led the league with 14 wild pitches, and had eight starts when he three five or fewer innings. Clearly, he lost manager Joe Maddon‘s trust over the 2017 campaign.

And yet, Jake Arrieta may well be the best pitcher currently on the market. Which team will end up with the former Chicago Cubs starter? Let’s take a look through a few potential suitors.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Chicago Cubs divisional rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, have a need atop their rotation. Jake Arrieta could be the answer.

For a while, the Brewers were seemingly determined to heat up the hot stove on their own. After their surprising run last season, Milwaukee drastically changed their outfield. Lorenzo Cain was added on a five year contract, and the Brewers acquired Christian Yelich in a trade. Now, attention needs to be paid to the pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation.

One of the teams known to have made an offer to Yu Darvish, the Brewers have an opening atop their rotation. Jimmy Nelson, who had a breakout 2017 campaign, is going to miss a chunk of 2018. If the Brewers have designs on contending once again, landing a pitcher like Arrieta could make a dramatic difference.

Milwaukee had reportedly been interested in signing Arrieta before their pursuit of Darvish. Now with the top free agent pitcher off the board, it may be time to revisit their conversations with the former Cubs starter. The Brewers have money to spend, and have displayed a willingness to improve the roster for the coming year.

Jake Arrieta may not be an ace, but he would be the type of pitcher the Brewers need. With an improved outfield, getting that top of the rotation arm may be key in keeping pace with the Cubs.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins had checked in on Jake Arrieta before, but that took a back burner to their pursuit of Yu Darvish. It may be time to rekindle those talks.

Minnesota had a surprising run to the postseason last year, but questions still remain regarding their rotation. Ervin Santana will potentially miss up to a month at the start of the season, and Jose Berrios does not yet appear ready to take on the role of the Twins ace. Beyond that duo, the Twins starters are hardly inspiring. After all, this is the team that gave the bloated corpse of Bartolo Colon 15 starts down the stretch last year.

While Arrieta is not a true staff ace, he would certainly be an upgrade over what the Twins currently have. His presence would allow Santana to slot in as the second starter, a role he is better suited for. And, should Berrios take that step forward, he would give Minnesota an excellent one-two punch for the next few years.

Going to the Twins would also give Arrieta a completely fresh start. Joe Maddon had completely lost confidence in Arrieta by the end of the season, which could not have been a positive for him on the mound. Not knowing if that one mistake will be the reason why a start is cut short would have to wear on anyone. It is time for a fresh start, and Minnesota would be an excellent fit.

He may not be the pitcher he was in 2015, but a new start could get Jake Arrieta back to the form he had in 2016. If that is the case, he would be exactly what the Minnesota Twins need.

Houston Astros

Seemingly the last thing the defending World Series champions would need would be another starting pitcher. Yet, Jake Arrieta could be a great fit nonetheless.

The Houston Astros run to the postseason was not the cakewalk it would have seemed. Although they ran away with the American League West, winning the division by 21 games, the starting rotation had a myriad of injuries. Eleven different pitchers made a start for Houston, with seven of those pitchers making more than ten starts.

Yet, with all of those arms, none of the Astros starters had more than 28 starts, which came courtesy of the now departed Mike Fiers. Justin Verlander should be a workhorse for the Astros going forward, but is going to be 35 years old. Since winning the Cy Young award in 2015, Dallas Keuchel has yet to make 30 starts in a season. Lance McCullers took a major step back last season. The Astros are talented, but still filled with question marks in the rotation.

Arrieta could help assuage some of those concerns. In a perfect world for Houston, Arrieta would be able to slot between Keuchel and Verlander, giving them an excellent second starter. With this one move, the Astros rotation may well be the best in the game, giving them an inside track on another World Series berth.

The Houston Astros do not need Jake Arrieta. However, the former Chicago Cubs starter could be the piece to put them over the top in 2018.

Philadelphia Phillies

At first glance, the Philadelphia Phillies would not seem to be a viable fit for the former Chicago Cubs All Star. However, they did sign Carlos Santana to a three year contract, showing that they are eyeing the end of their rebuild.

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Bringing Jake Arrieta to the Phillies would further accelerate that process. He would pair nicely with Aaron Nola, giving Philadelphia a solid one-two punch atop their rotation. As Jared Eickhoff and Vince Velasquez continue their development, the Phillies could have the beginnings of a solid pitching rotation.

The benefits of bringing Arrieta to the City of Brotherly Love likely would not be felt in 2018. They would win a few extra games, and may be able to climb up the National League East to a third or fourth place finish. However, bringing in a starter of his caliber would send a message that the Phillies will be looking to contend, and soon.

The biggest concern with bringing Arrieta to Philadelphia would be how he would fare in Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies home park had the highest home run factor of any stadium in baseball last year, and Arrieta did allow 23 homers in his 168.1 innings. If his command issues continue and Arrieta continues to elevate the ball, signing with the Phillies could prove to be a disaster.

Next: Cubs sign Darvish to six year deal

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to upgrade their rotation. Jake Arrieta could be a fit, but he may not be the right pitcher for the ballpark.

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