Jake Arrieta Will Not Attend Cubs' White House Ceremony

The Chicago Cubs are going to be heading to the White House to visit with President Barack Obama, but one of their biggest stars will not be accompanying them on the trip to the nation’s capital.

That player is pitcher Jake Arrieta, who picked up a key win in Game 6 of the World Series en route to the team winning its first championship in 108 years. Arrieta, who agreed to a new contract on Friday to avoid arbitration with the team, says that he will skip the White House ceremony because of family reasons, according to multiple reports:

Before Arrieta elaborated on his reasons for not attending, there were plenty of fans whose ears perked up when he declined to go. That comes as a result of his comments after the presidential election in November 2016, when he posted a tweet telling Hollywood celebrities to get lost after the victory of Donald Trump.

During his interview Friday, Arrieta says that he did not vote in the presidential race, and that his comments were “pro-American” as opposed to being supportive of one candidate or the other.

Arrieta has also agreed to a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs avoiding arbitration, a source confirmed Friday.

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