Jake Arrieta is a Chicago Cub (Again)

He’s back, y’all! It’s been reported tonight that Jake Arrieta made a one-year deal with his old team, the Chicago Cubs, for the 2021 season. The Cubs will pay him $6 million, and the agreement is pending a physical.

Arrieta, a free agent this season, supposedly had offers from other teams, but wanted to return to Chicago.

Arrieta spent 4 years with the Cubs (2014-2017) and won the Cy Young Award while pitching for them in 2015. In 2016, he won a World Series with them. Arrieta has played for the Phillies for the last 3 years, and he’s struggled. His strikeout rate has gone down, and his ERA went up to 4.36 while playing for the Phillies.

Arrieta will be playing under Cubs manager David Ross, who played catcher for Arrieta during his time in Chicago. Ross retired in 2016. Arrieta will join a lineup that includes Kyle Hendricks, Alec Mills, and Trevor Williams. Hendricks and Arrieta previously played together, but Mills and Williams are more recent additions to the Cubs. Arrieta offers stability and (hopefully) consistency for a Cubs team that has struggled since that World Series win almost 5 years ago.

Personally, I never liked Arrieta as a Phillie, and I’m glad to see him back with a team that he seems more comfortable with. His wife, Brittany, posted a picture of herself and Kristina Lackey appearing to celebrate the Arrietas’ return to Chicago. Lackey is the wife of retired Cubs pitcher John Lackey.

Here’s hoping that a return to Chicago is exactly what Jake and the Cubs need, in order to find success this season. Congrats, Jake!