MLB Free Agency 2018 Jake Arrieta: Orioles Keeping Watch As Phillies Hope For A Less Expensive Deal
Even with the Opening Day fast approaching, Jake Arrieta is still available on the market.
In fact, he is just one of a handful of quality players who are yet to find a new home. Business Insider believes that this could be because teams are taking a new approach to free agents by spending less.
That does not mean there is no interest with Arrieta. According to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports, the Baltimore Orioles remain in contact with the pitcher along with Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn and are monitoring it.
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"The Orioles are hopeful if they're going to make a bold move and sign another starter," Kubatko wrote, adding that the expectation is that the contract will be cheaper.
However, that of Arrieta is apparently "still high." In line with this, "while the ideal scenario for the Orioles is a deal below three years, they aren't refusing to guarantee that amount, according to a source," Kubatko adds.
If the Orioles will not make a move before Opening Day, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com believes that the better the chances for the Philadelphia Phillies to secure him. The team is reportedly interested in signing Arrieta on a three-year contract, but they hope that he would be more affordable than he currently is.
However, it does not look like this will happen especially with agent Scott Boras keen on scoring a deal much better than the $126 million six-year contract Yu Darvish signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Boras believes that Arrieta's "prestige factor" allows for him to get a bigger deal, telling Fan Rag Sports, "Analytical evaluation is incomplete. It needs to include prestige, the human element, a leadership dynamic. It also needs to include postseason performance. Analytics are void of that."
Zolecki believes that a team like Phillies would not go that extra mile for "prestige" alone. They consider the numbers more important, and on that front, the team sees a lot of reasons not to overspend.
