Fresh approach for Chicago Cubs ace Arietta

MESA, Ariz. - Can you really get too much of a good thing?

When it comes to ace pitcher Jake Arrieta, the Chicago Cubs don't want to find out.

Arrieta enjoyed a season for the ages last year, when he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and won the National League Cy Young Award.

In doing so, he logged a career-high 229 innings in the regular season, plus 19⅔ more in the postseason, including a complete-game shutout over the Pirates in the wild-card playoff game to propel the Cubs into the division series.

Arrieta's previous major-league high in innings pitched was 156⅔, set the previous year. He admitted to hitting the wall in the postseason, and for that reason the Cubs will take it a bit easier on him this spring and into the season.

No, Arrieta won't become a 5-inning pitcher, but if the team is leading big, he might come out after 6, or 7 tops.

"He understands why in spring training we're going to start him a little bit later, build into the season, be proactive regarding game situations, possibly not finishing a game with him this year that we finished last year, with the lead, in an attempt to save and utilize him for the latter part of the season," manager Joe Maddon said.

"He gets it now. Guys like him who have never been through it before, you pretty much feel like you're invincible, you can do anything. We've all been through that.

"At least now he's had the experience of what it feels like to be in that position, and he knows it now firsthand. So my job should be somewhat easier in regards to harnessing him just a bit in regard to different moments during the season.

"I'm not talking about treating him like a kid. I'm not talking about backing off, just being a little more intelligent at the latter part of the game with the lead and when to get him out."

Arrieta seemed invincible last season, especially late. From Aug. 4 on, he went 11-0 with an 0.41 ERA, the lowest ERA for any pitcher from Aug. 1 on since the stat became official.

He dominated the Pirates in the wild-card game but admitted to being gassed, and he went 5⅔ innings in beating the Cardinals in Game 3 of the division series and 5 innings in losing to the Mets in Game 2 of the championship series.

Arrieta is a workout fanatic, combining Pilates and lifting as part of his conditioning. But he said Saturday he understands the need to back it down a bit.

"Last year I think my mindset was I want the game in the ninth inning every time out," he said. "Looking back on it, toward the end of the season, my last 2 starts specifically, I had a noticeable point there where I could tell where I was a little out of gas.

"Going into this season, it's obviously very wise to monitor things early in the season to preserve things for October and so on and so forth. As nice as it is to complete games as a starter, it's even nicer to pitch meaningful innings in October, as I now know from last year's experiences."

Maddon said he and Arrieta have talked about the situation, and from Arrieta's perspective that kind of communication is one of the reasons he is accepting.

"Joe is the leader on this aspect," Arrieta said. "You got to check your ego at the door. It doesn't matter individually at this point because we were in the NLCS last year, and we expect to go one step further this year.

"If we're going to do that, there are certain sacrifices that have to be made, and I'm more than willing to make those sacrifices to be better for my team later in the season."

With the World Series possibly extending into November these days, Arrieta said the prize that awaits the winner then is more important than piling up stats and innings during the season.

"It looks good on paper, but a ring looks a little bit better at the end of November," he said.