Jake Arrieta signed a 3 year $75M deal with the Phillies. Key points:
Jake could see a bounce back in velocity. From 2015-2016, Jake threw 426.1 innings, plus deep into the playoffs both years. From ’11-’14 he only threw 466 innings and no playoffs. Being this good and pitching this deep into seasons is new to him. Him getting back to 95-96 mph isn’t that far fetched. He’s still getting good at being good.
Gabe Kapler’s take on Jake Arrieta: Jake has been a bad ass on the mound throughout his career. Displays confidence, instills fear in hitters. He’ll set the tone in Philly and prove just as valuable in the clubhouse as on the mound.
Jake hasn’t been 2015 Jake. We know this. Looking beyond data, with a little eye test and a little bit of old school scouting, you’ll see that beyond the data drops we could see a rise in performance. Change of scenery, with something to prove, bet your ass he’s got something to prove, you’ll see a guy that resembles more of a 2015 Jake than you’ve seen since the start of 2016. A guy that’s more competitive than ever.