Right-hander Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs are scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Feb. 9 in Arizona.
There was a significant gap between Arrieta’s request of $13 million for 2016 and the Cubs’ offer of $7.5 million when the two sides exchanged salary figures in January.
Arrieta won the 2015 National League Cy Young Award after a steller season that included a trip to the playoffs. He posted a 22-6 record with a 1.77 ERA, 48 walks and 236 strikeouts in 229 innings. In his last 15 starts during the regular season, he was nearly unhittable with a 0.75 ERA.
Arrieta, who made $3.63 million last season, isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2017 season.
