Arrieta eager to get back at it for Chicago Cubs
Jake Arrieta isn't a guy who paints the corners when it comes to pitching.
Rather, the Chicago Cubs' ace comes right at the hitters.
But Thursday, Arrieta joined several teammates in picking up a paint brush or two during a stop at the Friedrich Jahn Elementary School on Chicago's North Side, not too far from Wrigley Field.
The event was a stop on the Cubs' annual caravan in advance of this weekend's fan convention, which runs Friday-Sunday in downtown Chicago.
Cubs players and staffers helped paint the gym at the school.
Arrieta addressed both the school kids and the media. With spring training just over a month away, the reigning Cy Young Award winner didn't paint the corners when talking about the Cubs' chances in 2016.
With the off-season additions of outfielder Jason Heyward, pitcher John Lackey and infielder Ben Zobrist, Arrieta sees big things ahead for a team that won 97 games last year and advanced to the National League championship series.
"It's hard to look at those three guys right there and feel like we're not a favorite," Arrieta said. "I know that 'on paper' is one thing; you have to go out there and perform and show you're the team to beat. But right now it looks like we are.
"Zobrist has obviously had an amazing career thus far, a very versatile player. You can put him in a lot of positions.
"We've all seen what Heyward can do in the outfield, a Gold Glove-type outfielder with a tremendous bat. He's got a ton of potential to grow as a player. He's only 26 years old.
"Obviously, Lackey is a seasoned veteran who's got a lot of experience under his belt. He's pitched in a lot of big games, and he's going to be big for us."
Arrieta was huge for the Cubs in 2015, going 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA during the regular season before pitching a complete-game shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card playoff game.
He will be in for a big payday as an arbitration-eligible player. Arrieta made $3.63 million last year, and he and the Cubs will exchange figures for 2016 on Friday. He cannot become a free agent until after the 2017 season, and naturally, talk has come up about a possible long-term contract extension.
The first order of business will be to take care of his 2016 contract.
"I'm just waiting for some phone calls," said Arrieta, who is represented by super agent Scott Boras. "I try to stay out of it until the very end to say, 'Where are we at?' and then we go from there.
"Obviously, things are going to work out. That's never been a concern of mine. I want the ball in my hand. I want to toe the slab and get after it. The financial things will work themselves out.
"I don't think either side wants it to draw out. Just get it done and not even talk about it."
Mr. Ambassador:
Expect the Cubs to name Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg to some sort of "ambassadorial" role this weekend at the Cubs convention.
Sandberg, who managed in the Cubs' minor-league system for several years but was bypassed for the big-league job, led the Philadelphia Phillies over parts of three seasons (2013-15) before being fired last year. He's listed among the Cubs alumni attending the convention.
Where's that ball?
News broke this week that the home run ball hit by Kyle Schwarber has been removed from the right-field videoboard, where it landed last Oct. 13 in Game 4 of the National League division series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Schwarber said Thursday he doesn't know what has become of the ball.
"I heard yesterday they took it down; I heard someone today say they put it back up," he said. "I don't know what's going on. Whatever they want to do with it, I'm fine with. But if they don't want to do anything with it, I'll keep it. Trust me."