Jake Arrieta's turbulent 2021 season with the Chicago Cubs finally came to an end on Thursday as he was placed by the team on unconditional release waivers. The Cubs decided to pull the plug on Arrieta after another poor start on the mound the day before and mocking a reporter in the press conference afterward over wearing a mask.
Arrieta struggled mightily in his final start with the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing eight runs in just four innings of action in a humiliating 10-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He was all over the place right from the start, surrendering seven runs on eight hits in the first inning, with Milwaukee sending a whopping 11 batters to the plate.
Arrieta ends Cubs run with poor showing on and off the field
That performance continued a poor run of form by Arrieta, who had a terrible 8.95 ERA and a 1.065 opponents' OPS since April 30. Before his release by the Cubs, Arrieta carried a 2021 record of 5-11 with a 6.88 ERA.
However, the straw that finally broke the camel's back came in the press conference following Arrieta's loss to the Brewers. Arrieta, who had already voiced out anti-vaccine comments during the season, told reporter Bruce Levine to take his mask off in a mocking tone, saying, "I don't think anybody's around you."
The Cubs finally had enough, with the President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, and manager David Ross telling Arrieta afterward in a meeting that his short-lived reunion with Chicago was over.
The Cubs brought the 35-year-old pitcher back on a one-year $6 million deal before the start of the season, hoping that Arrieta will rediscover the form that made him one of the best pitchers in the MLB before. Unfortunately, that plan fizzled out with Arrieta, the latest member of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs, shown the door this season.
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Hoyer pays tribute to 2016 World Series hero Arrieta
The Cubs have decided to blow up their lineup before the trade deadline, dealing away stalwarts Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant to the New York Yankees, New York Mets, and San Franciso Giants, respectively. With Arrieta now gone, it truly is the end of an era for the Cubs.
Despite the sad and shameful end to Arrieta's career, Hoyer paid tribute to the Cubs' former ace pitcher, saying, "nothing that happened on the mound last night or the other nights in any way diminishes his role in club history."
Arrieta was a vital cog in the Cubs' glory years, posting a 50-19 record with a 2.42 ERA in 89 starts across the 2014-16 seasons. He posted a 2.53 ERA in the 2014 season, then won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015 after a 22-win season that featured an incredible 1.77 ERA. The Cubs then captured the World Series in 2016, ending a 108-year title drought.
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