In an earlier press conference, Cubs ace Jake Arrieta hinted that he might be worth more than Stephen Strasburg, who signed a seven-year, 175-million-dollar contract extension on Monday. He also said that he would not give the Cubs a “hometown discount.”

Arrieta has been one of baseball’s best and most consistent pitchers in the game. Over his last 27 starts, Arrieta has an 0.92 ERA and has thrown two no-hitters. He was exceptional in the second half of last season and has picked up right where he left off this year, having a 6-0 record with a 1.13 ERA.

Arrieta is also a client of Scott Boras, an agent who is notorious for drawing the most money out of teams. Fellow aces, David Price and Max Scherzer, clients of Boras, signed mega deals over the past couple of seasons with the Boston Red Sox and  Washington Nationals respectively. Price signed a seven-year, 217-million-dollar contract this past offseason, and Scherzer signed a seven-year, 210-million-dollar contract in the 2015 offseason. Arrieta said in the press conference as well, “Aces get seven years” just as Strasburg got, so think of that as a starting point. And think $200 million as one, as well…Financially I’m fine, regardless…You want to be paid in respect to how your peers are paid. I don’t think that changes with any guy you ask. It happens around baseball every year.”

Buster Olney, a baseball analyst at ESPN, expects a “record-setting” deal for Arrieta next fall, but “doesn’t see the Cubs chasing him down. Arrieta says that he is open to talking about an extension to stay with the North Siders, but no deal is imminent at this time. Arrieta closed, “In a perfect world, I prefer it be done quickly. Let’s get it over with and go play.”