It’s been a quiet winter for former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, who we’ve barely heard a peep from in free agency. Arrieta is coming off a sluggish 2020 that saw him produce his worst ERA (5.08) in eight years. A familiar symptom of pitchers entering the twilight of their careers, the 34-year-old watched his velocity plummet last season, mustering just 92.1 mph on his fastball, well below the 94.6 mph he averaged during his Cy Young campaign in 2015.
Injuries have no doubt played a role in Arrieta’s recent decline with the 6’4” right-hander battling hamstring woes, bone spurs in his pitching elbow and a meniscus tear that required surgery during the 2019 offseason. Those setbacks could be the product of wear and tear after logging a combined 468 1/3 innings (playoffs included) for the Cubs in 2015-16.
Hoping to breathe new life into his stagnant career by landing a spot in a major-league starting rotation, the former Phillie will throw for scouts Friday in his native Austin with the Mets among several clubs expected to attend, according to SNY’s Andy Martino. This is likely a case of the Mets simply doing their due diligence as New York’s rotation is already well-stocked with Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman, Joey Lucchesi and David Peterson expected to comprise the team’s starting five. Former All-Star Noah Syndergaard, who is still recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, should also be a factor at some point.
The author of two career no-hitters, Arrieta would be a worthy reclamation project given his Cy Young pedigree, though the veteran’s market will likely hinge on how he performs at Friday’s showcase. Corey Kluber used a similar workout to his advantage, impressing teams during a 30-pitch pen session in Florida earlier this month. The former Indians and Rangers hurler signed shortly after, joining the Yankees on a one-year prove-it deal.
A fifth-round pick out of TCU who broke into the bigs as an Oriole in 2010, Arrieta holds a lifetime 3.76 ERA across 261 MLB appearances including 251 starts. His magnum opus came in 2015 when he led the majors in wins (22), shutouts (three) and complete games (four) en route to a National League Cy Young Award, earning the honor over runner-up Zack Greinke.
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