Bronson Arroyo will not consider redoing his contract even if it means staying with the Reds past this season, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Arroyo is in the final year of his two-year deal and has a club option for $11MM ($2MM buyout) next season. If the team hopes to keep the right-hander in Cincinnati next year, it looks as if they'll have to exercise that $11MM option.
As Arroyo told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the 33-year-old hopes to remain in Cincinnati, but is also looking ahead to what might be his last chance at a big deal on the open market. He indicated to Fay that he wouldn't restructure his contract and accept a discounted rate, like Scott Rolen did:
"Not in a million years," Arroyo said. "Scott's in a different position than I'm in. He's in a position where he feels like he's only got a couple years left in the game. He wanted to retire in this uniform…. He restructured because he’s made $150 million in the game or whatever it is…. I'm not in the same boat."
Fay suggests that it's unclear whether the Reds intend to exercise their 2011 option to retain Arroyo. If Arroyo is not in their future plans, the club might consider exploring his trade value before the deadline. The right-hander would be a "hot commodity" on the trade market, and with Edinson Volquez, Aaron Harang, and Homer Bailey on their way back from the disabled list, the Reds could have the pitching depth to make a move worthwhile.
The bet here though is that the Reds hold onto one of their most reliable arms. As long as they remain in first place, the team may be better off shelving the issue of Arroyo's option until after the season.
Arroyo always seemed pretty cool. This is much more of a dick-move than I would expect from someone as seemingly cool as him.
This isn’t a dick move at all. Rolen didn’t want to move around anymore so he took the discounted rate to stay. Arroyo has no problem with moving and has at least one more big payday in him. Good for him for not taking the discount.
Yeah, point taken. I’m only half-awake and I didn’t really read through the article.
I was just assuming he wouldn’t be willing to spread the contract out across more years if it would allow the Reds to take on payroll for that huge playoff push they might need.
why would or should he do this? he can sign with a stronger contender in the offseason
Do you remember what happened last time Arroyo took a home-town discount? He was traded a week later for Willy Mo Pena after a year where he was a major contributor to a World Series.
That’s what immediately came to my mind.
Arroyo is just looking out for himself and his family. He’s trying to maximize his earning potential. Nothing wrong with that.
As a Padres fan, I’d love to see either Arroyo or Harang in San Diego for the second half. Both guys could eat innings, and I think Harang would be very good pitching in PetCo.
The last time Arroyo gave a team a hometown discount, he got shipped off to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Pena. I cant remember the exact numbers, but I do remember it being a crazy discount he gave the Red Sox. So I can see why he wouldnt be in any hurry to give a team a big discount just to be disrespectfully thrown away.
Yep, Fay mentions that in his article — Arroyo signed with Boston for three years and $11.25MM, only to be traded a couple months later.
3 years 11.25 million is damn good money for a guy with a lifetime era over 4.00. Arroyo and other greedy players of his ilk make me long for the reserve clause.
Yeah, because only the owners should be allowed to be greedy, right?
The owners greedy. It is because of the owners we have baseball. Remember since 1981 there are have been 7 strikes and all of them without exception have been because of the players and their greed. This man has a paltry 6.01 k/9 rate, a lifetime era of 4.22, and a whip of 1.33 his career FIP is 4.45 (FIP is era without fielders). This man screams mediocre. If anyone pays him 11 mill a year they ought to have their head examined.
There needs to be a financial restructure in the game where mediocre stiffs like this don’t get 11 mill a year. I don’t care if it costs 2 seasons we need to break the union and have a salary cap installed for the good of the game.
I would argue that it is because of the players that we have baseball; and I would rather have my money overcompensate them, rather than the owners.
The players hurt the game they don’t help it. The only reason we have drug testing was because of public reaction. The players fought testing for year. The reason we still have the DH is because the players won’t give it up so we get to see fat out of shape players who can’t field still play the game, and the NL style of ball is far superior.
What MLB needs to do is follow what the NHL did impose a hard salary cap next time the contract comes up, and if we lose baseball for 2 years so be it. Another thing the owners should be doing now is making plans for replacement players. They need to prepare a schedule without the Canadian teams involved so if the players strike we can continue baseball. For the good of the game the players’ union has to go or become neutered like the NHL players union.
Some major changes need to be made to baseball overall. A salary cap would be huge for the balance of the game. Players can quit whining about their pay.. The amount of time they work a year is far less than almost any other industry. They also make millions a year not hundred thousands. I would love to work for league minimum so i could have money for my family and some extra. I also am in favor of a major realignment if their is not going to be a cap. There are posts on all kinds of sites that talk about the AL east and how every year either Boston or the Yankees are in the playoffs. As far as the divisions go why not have six 5 team divisions or heck maybe we should add two more teams and make eight 4 team divisions and have playoffs similar to the NFL. Also lets go back to the balanced schedule instead of the unbalanced.
yeah because a salary cap worked out for the good of the nba.
I have said it before I get the feeling that Arroyo will end up in Cincinnati for at least 1 more year. The contract that they need to get rid of is Harrang. Arroyo is a consistent pitcher. Harrang does not seem consistent at all and gives up too many homers in GAB. If Harrang goes the Reds will definitely keep Arroyo for leadership of the kids. Though thinking about it I remember Arroyo saying he didn’t want extra pressure on him when they were thinking about having him be the opening day starter maybe he does not want to pressure of leading the staff. Makes you wonder.
Arroyo didn’t have a problem with the pressure, he just didn’t want to deal with all of the hoopla associated with Opening Day in Cincinnati. Further, I’m pretty sure Arroyo has said he hates pitching day games.
yeah I remember that too. He does not like pitching day games good point.
He has a short period of time to make as much as he can and there is no one on this sight that would not do the same.
He doesn’t deserve a discount! He is a pretty decent pitcher, but he’s making too much money as it is! Kind of a mean move. You have enough money. If I was given a chance to play for the Braves for 10/$100m, or the Yankee’s for 5/$200m, I’d take Braves all the way. Sure the extra money is nice, but there’s such a thing as loyalty, and enjoying a club and city. Cincinnati has never turned their back on him, no matter how bad he pitched.
If anything the city has encouraged him to be a big part of the city.
Lets’ face it, Bronson has been really the most consistent pitcher the Reds have had in a very long time. He has pitched over 200 innings every year here in Cincinnati, and his highest ERA in 1 year was 4.77 with 2 years of having a below 4.00 ERA.
Bronson has his ups and downs, but at the end of the season he turns out the best performance out of all the reds pitchers, and that is invaluable.
If any team gives Arroyo a deal longer than 2 years with double-digit salary numbers, said GM deserves to be fired. His peripherals have been very lack luster over the last few years (He hasn’t posted a FIP below 4.50 since 2006 and only in 2008 did he post an xFIP below 4.50 in that same time frame).
He’ll be 34 at the beginning of next season. He CERTAINLY does not deserve 11 million per year. Hopefully the Reds realize the same thing.
I believe the Reds will pick up his option. It’s too hard for the Reds to get veteran starting pitching to come in as free agents. They would have to pay a Free Agent Pitcher that will eat innings at or over 11 million in the offseason. It is also rumored that Arroyo is one of Owner Castellini’s favorite players. It definitely be challenging for them to fit all of there young to mid talented starting pitching into a 5 man rotation. It may mean that Woods, Maloney, Leake or Bailey will have to stay in the Minors after the All Star break unless there is an injury or two.
I am still not sold on Bailey. Yes he finally is starting to look like a pitcher who can pitch in the majors but I don’t see him anything better than a number 4 or 5 starter. Maloney seems decent but nothing to write home about either. Leake and Wood look very impressive to me thus far. they would make nice # 2 or 3 pitchers in this rotation from what I have seen so far. Things can always change though with young players so you never know. All the hype on Chapman seems a little overdone. He has great movement on his pitches and is definitely a good strikeout pitcher but the control is not there at all from what I have seen.
This man has a paltry 6.01 k/9 rate, a lifetime era of 4.22, and a whip of 1.33 his career FIP is 4.45 (FIP is era without fielders). This man screams mediocre. If anyone pays him 11 mill a year they ought to have their head examined.
There needs to be a financial restructure in the game where mediocre stiffs like this don’t get 11 mill a year. I don’t care if it costs 2 seasons we need to break the union and have a salary cap installed for the good of the game.
6 strikeouts per 9 innings is not exactly a poor rate. 4.22 ERA career is not that great either but look at his ERA for past year and half. Its almost a run lower than that. The FIP number does concern me some. You also didn’t mention the number of innings he has pitched each year as a Red. Not saying he is worth 11.5 million but like someone else said what other starter with the numbers he has given the team the past 2 years or so will come to Cincinnati?
arroyo’s durability definitely adds to his value, what with all the pitchers going to the dl the last few years. Volquez is far more talented but what good is talent when you can’t bring it onto the field? he shouldn’t break the 10 million mark but the guy deserves to seek a big payday if he thinks he can find it. And if he can’t find it, tough luck nice try enjoy the millions you’ve already made.