The Chicago Cubs have barely engaged free agent starter Jake Arrieta in contract talks according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. 

Arrieta has spent the last four and a half seasons with the Cubs after coming over from the Baltimore Orioles during the 2013 season. Nightengale notes that while Arrieta was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2015, a drop in velocity, nagging injuries and concern about potential arm problems surrounding his violent delivery have slowed down his market.

Last season, Arrieta went 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA - the highest it's been since the 2013 season - over 168.1 innings last season. 

It isn't just Arrieta who remains unsigned, but many of baseball top free agents as well. J.D. Martinez, Yu Darvish, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Greg Holland are still on the open market to name a few. 

Major League Baseball Players' Association president Tony Clark blamed teams' lack of competitiveness for the high number of first-class free agents still on the market.  

"A record number of talented free agents remain unemployed in an industry where revenues and franchise values are at record highs," he said in a statement, eight days before the first formal workouts. "Spring training has always been associated with hope for a new season. This year a significant number of teams are engaged in a race to the bottom. This conduct is a fundamental breach of the trust between a team and its fans and threatens the very integrity of our game."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred blamed the slow off-season the agents and players holding up the market.   

Brodie Van Wagenen, an agent and co-head of CAA Baseball, suggested last week that some players may boycott spring training later this month to protest the slow free agent market. 

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for most teams in mid-February.