Chicago White Sox: The case for signing Jake Arrieta
With March approaching fast, the remaining big-name free agents are coming off the board. Arguably the biggest remaining free agent, former Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta would be a great fit for the Chicago White Sox.
The Chicago White Sox are a rebuilding team saving up for next offseason with young pitching prospects waiting in the wings.
How can you think about doing this?
Believe it or not, Jake Arrieta to the Chicago White Sox makes perfect sense especially considering the time of the offseason and the state of the team.
The former Cy Young Award winner is the biggest pitcher remaining on the market, so signing him to the White Sox seems like a stretch. But as we come close to just one month before the regular season, something needs to happen sooner or later for Arrieta.
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The 31-year old free agent, who is represented by the infamous Scott Boras, has yet to engage in any serious contract talks during the offseason as of February 20th.
Arrieta was a superstar for the Chicago Cubs since being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in 2014. Most notably, he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA in 2015, winning the National League Cy Young Award and led the Chicago Cubs to the National League Championship Series.
Two seasons and one World Series Championship later, Arrieta finds himself a high-profile free agent. So why the Chicago White Sox?
On the other hand, starting with the Chris Sale trade last offseason, the Chicago White Sox have been in the midst of a rebuilding phase. While the future is certainly bright, the White Sox’s World Series window likely opens around 2019 at the earliest.
A 67-95 2017 season doesn’t look pretty, but the Chicago White Sox are still a popular pick to surprise people in 2018.
Budding stars Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez enter their second season on the South Side, and premier prospects Michael Kopech and Eloy Jimenez look like the next set of stars in Chicago. The excitement level is high amongst Chicago White Sox fans, which could prompt the team to make a short-term move to put them over the top.
At the age of 31, Jake Arrieta might not be willing to take a short-term deal. Unfortunately for the White Sox, no deal will happen unless it’s three years or less. After that, any contract would have to leave the team with enough money to make a run at Manny Machado next offseason.
Let’s say Arrieta is willing to take a one-year deal with hopes for a long-term deal next offseason. An appropriate contract could be a one-year, $15 million dollar deal. That way, the money stays on the 2018 payroll while Arrieta gets one season to prove his worth on the market.
Where would Arrieta fit on the White Sox roster? Simply put, Jake Arrieta would be the ace of the staff. A move would push Carson Fulmer to the bullpen but would leave room for future aces Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, and a healthy Carlos Rodon.
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Obviously, the Chicago White Sox and Jake Arrieta aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. Teams like the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles could make more appealing options for Arrieta, given the fact that all three are in better positions to win than the White Sox and have more money to spend.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Maybe a year-long audition for Arrieta with the White Sox shouldn’t be out of the question.