Texas Rangers Likely To Pursue Jake Arrieta In MLB Free Agency?
Jake Arrieta’s name is being mentioned in rumor after rumor now that the MLB offseason has begun. He is one of the top free agents available in free agency and is expected to have plenty of teams to choose from. Theo Epstein and the Chicago Cubs would like to re-sign the star pitcher, but that doesn’t appear likely at this point in time.
Outside of the Cubs, there are plenty of teams that will be interested in signing Arrieta. He will likely have offers from at least 10 to 15 teams and is currently projected to receive a deal worth between $20 million and $25 million per year.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Texas Rangers could be one of the teams with heavy interest in signing Arrieta. They could use another top-notch arm in their rotation and have been connected with both Arrieta and Yu Darvish. Darvish may not be interested in returning to the Rangers after being traded at the trade deadline last year, but Arrieta would be a perfect addition.
Last season with the Cubs, Arrieta got off to a bit of a shaky start. He picked things up later in the season, however, but was forced to miss a good chunk of time due to injury. Arrieta returned in the postseason and came through with two very solid starts for the Cubs before they were knocked out in the NLCS by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
What if Jake Arrieta stays in the NL Central and repeatedly haunts the Cubs?https://t.co/63qmr3XJGn pic.twitter.com/x7vZhrGo9W
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) November 20, 2017
Arrieta compiled a 14-10 record to go along with a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP last season with the Cubs. Just a few short years ago in 2015, Arrieta posted one of the best seasons in recent MLB history for a starting pitcher. He won the NL Cy Young award and finished the year with a 22-6 record and a 1.77 ERA.
At 31-years-old, Arrieta still has at least three to four years left in his prime. Many believe that he will end up getting a massive four-year contract. Texas would be wise to offer him a deal worth around $80 million to $90 million over the four years that he is expected to want.
There is a chance that Arrieta’s price range could end up being higher than that. Some believe that Arrieta could come close to $30 million per season, although that seems a bit unlikely.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to keep an eye on Arrieta over the next month. He is going to be mentioned in plenty of rumors connected to a lot of teams.
Texas may not end up being a finalist to sign him, but they certainly seem like a very good landing spot if they are willing to offer him a good contract.
[Featured Image by Justin Berl/Getty Images]
