Showalter, Britton happy for former Oriole Jake Arrieta
For one reason or another, Jake Arrieta could never figure it out with the Baltimore Orioles.
Once a top prospect in their system, he struggled to put it together in the majors, pitching to a 20-25 record and a 5.46 ERA.
In July 2013, he was traded along with Pedro Strop to the Chicago Cubs for Scott Feldman.
It was with Chicago where he flourished.
In 61 starts with the Cubs, Arrieta owns a 31-13 record and 2.48 ERA, including a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
His former team is happy for Arrieta, both the pitcher and the person.
"I don't think it surprises anybody the way Jake's been pitching. Special," Showalter told MASN Sports. "I'm proud of and happy for him. He's a good young man. He has really done well."
"I don't think it surprised anybody. He's come into his own. He's a good one. I'm happy for him individually. I'm glad he's over in the National League and we don't play the Cubs this year."
Closer Zach Britton agrees.
"You knew it could do it. And for him, maybe the change of scenery was what he needed," he said "His stuff was always there. It was just a matter of somebody being able to let him relax a little bit and trust his stuff more than anything, and he's definitely done that the last two years in Chicago."
As MASN Sports notes, Arrieta and Britton remain friends after coming up in the system together as highly-touted prospects.
(h/t MASN)
