Cubs make qualifying offers to Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis; add reliever

The Cubs added a reliever, dropped an outfielder and met an important deadline by offering qualifying offers to free agents Jake Arrieta and Wade Davis during a series of moves Monday.

The one-year, $17.4 million qualifying offers for 2018 contracts are largely formalities, ensuring the Cubs of draft-pick compensation if other teams sign Arrieta and Davis to the kind of deals they’re expected to command.

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Arrieta, the 2015 National League Cy Young winner, long has scoffed at the idea of accepting a qualifying offer to stay.

“That’s hilarious to even think about,” Arrieta told the Sun-Times in August. “You’re asking me if I would play on a one-year contract? Absolutely not. Why would I do that? Why?”

Arrieta, who made $15.64 million in 2017, is expected to command a multiyear, nine-figure deal as one of the top two starting pitchers on the free-agent market.

During one of the most successful runs for a pitcher in franchise history, Arrieta was 68-31 with a 2.73 ERA and two no-hitters in 128 starts since being acquired in a four-player trade with the Orioles in July 2013.

Davis, who made $10 million in 2017 after being acquired in a trade with the Royals last December, is a more intriguing case only because the Cubs are in play — if a long shot — to bring the All-Star closer back on a multiyear deal.

Players extended qualifying offers have 10 days to decide on them.

The two pitchers are among nine Cubs free agents after outfielder Leonys Martin, who was a defensive sub and pinch runner on the postseason roster, cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40-man roster.

The Cubs also announced they claimed right-hander Cory Mazzoni, 28, off waivers from the Padres.

Mazzoni, a 2011 second-round pick of the Mets, has made 14 big-league relief appearances in the last three seasons (32 earned runs in 16⅔ innings).

Mazzoni, who has missed time in recent seasons with a shoulder injury and more recently a blood clot, allowed two runs in 20⅓ innings (0.89 ERA) for Class AAA El Paso in 14 appearances this season.

The Cubs also added Class AAA reliever Matt Carasiti to the 40-man roster.

The right-hander, who was acquired in June from the Rockies for lefty Zac Rosscup, earned 21 saves with a 3.26 ERA in 46 appearances at Albuquerque and Iowa this year.

Follow me on Twitter @GDubCub.

Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com