As expected by many, the Milwaukee Brewers are expressing interest in one of the top starters on the open market, Jake Arrieta. As Jon Morosi is reporting, the Brewers are interested in bringing in the veteran hurler.
Arrieta, 31, is one of the top 2 starting Pitchers on the Free Agent market(the other being Yu Darvish) and will be looking for a long-term deal. Arrieta has been rumored to be looking for a six-year contract, although many expect him to land a contract of less than 6 years.
The Brewers have money to spend this offseason and over the next few years guaranteed payroll is expected to drop even more, which gives Milwaukee plenty of space to work with. On top of that, Jimmy Nelson is expected to miss a portion of the 2018 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, which opens a spot in the Milwaukee rotation to start next year.
Arrieta has generally posted very good to outstanding numbers in his 4 years as a Chicago Cub, when the team acquired him from the Orioles back during 2013 season, including winning the NL Cy Young award in 2015. However, he had somewhat of a drop off in performance this past year, posting a 3.53 ERA in 168.1 IP(1.9 WAR).
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