Jake Arrieta Rumors: Nationals, Phillies, Brewers Could Sign Pitcher Before MLB Opening Day

We’re less than a month away from the start of the 2018 MLB season, and Jake Arrieta is still without a home. He was one of baseball’s best pitchers during his four and a half years with the Chicago Cubs, but the veteran still hasn't found a contract that he considers worth signing.

Arrieta will be 32 years old on Opening Day, and he’s coming off a less-than-stellar season—at least by his standards—going 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 2017. Those are still numbers that most pitchers would love to have during a “down” year, and he was arguably the best pitcher at the start of free agency.

Chicago ultimately chose to sign Yu Darvish over Arrieta, giving him $126 million guaranteed over six years. Arrieta helped the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years in 2016, and the team has reached the NLCS in each of the last three seasons.

Arrieta could end up with one of the teams that pose a threat to Chicago’s World Series hopes in 2018. The Washington Nationals are “deliberating” on Arrieta, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the National League favorites after leading MLB with 104 wins and reaching Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. Washington, however, is arguably the NL’s best team on paper, and adding Arrieta would tilt the odds even more in their favor.

Washington was eliminated by Chicago in last year’s NLDS. They won the NL East for a second straight season and have recorded at least 95 regular-season wins in three of the last four years.

The Nationals already have one of the best rotations in baseball with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez leading the way. All three starters had a sub-3.00 ERA in 2017 with at least 15 victories.

Washington has concerns about signing Arrieta and potentially pushing their payroll beyond the $197 million luxury tax threshold. The Nationals are fourth, according to Spotrac, in MLB with a payroll north of $174 million.

Even though Arrieta remains unsigned and might not get the same kind of contract that Davish earned, it still could cost close to $20 million a year to land him.

If the Nationals don’t sign Arrieta, they could be forced to deal with him in their division. The Philadelphia Phillies have engaged in discussions with the veteran, though Philadelphia reportedly isn’t interested in giving Arrieta a lengthy contract.

The Milwaukee Brewers have been rumored as a potential landing spot for Arrieta. They are making a push to challenge Chicago in the NL Central, having already signed Lorenzo Cain to a five-year $80 million contract, while also trading for outfielder Christian Yelich. Much like Washington, Milwaukee’s concerns lie in increasing their payroll.

Arrieta won the 2015 NL Cy Young Award when he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA. He posted a 2.73 ERA from 2013-2017 with the Cubs.