No one’s ever accused Jake Arrieta of being overly humble, and that cocksure attitude was on full display Saturday as the Cubs held their first full-squad workout of the spring. His willingness to rise to the occasion and revel in pressure is what led the Cubs to the 2015 Wild Card victory in Pittsburgh that officially signaled their arrival as a contender, but it may also have facilitated his departure from the team following the 2017 season.
Arrieta wanted to be paid like an ace, so that was the primary reason for his decision to test free agency.