Kent hovered in the 25-50% vote share range for his final four seasons. He never seemed in danger of falling below the 5% threshold that cuts players from the ballot early but also didn’t get the kind of late momentum needed to vault him within striking range of induction. If he’s to be enshrined in Cooperstown, that’ll now have to come via the Era Committee. The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee met this winter — enshrining Fred McGriff in the process — meaning the earliest Kent will be under consideration again is the 2025-26 offseason.

A right-handed hitter, Kent was one of the game’s better power bats over his 17-year MLB career. He played just under 2300 games for six different clubs, with his best seasons coming as a member of the Giants. Kent hit .297/.368/.535 during a six-year stretch in San Francisco spanning 1997-2002. He received MVP votes in five of those campaigns and won the award in 2000 thanks to a massive .334/.424/.596 showing with 33 longballs.

Kent finished his career with a .290/.356/.500 line in more than 9500 plate appearances. His 377 career homers are the most by any primary second baseman, while he collected 2461 hits, drove in 1518 runs and scored 1320 times. He was a five-time All-Star and secured four Silver Slugger awards while winning the aforementioned MVP. Strong as his offensive contributions were, Kent faced plenty of questions about his glove at the keystone. Those defensive concerns dissuaded enough voters to keep him from induction.

While Kent was the only player to “age” off the ballot this year, a number of first-time candidates unsurprisingly dropped out after not reaching the 5% threshold to last another season. Bronson Arroyo, R.A. Dickey, John Lackey, Mike Napoli, Huston Street, Matt Cain, Jacoby Ellsbury, Andre Ethier, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta, Jered Weaver and Jayson Werth each fall out of future consideration.

Among first-time candidates, just two topped the 5% mark to remain on the ballot for at least another year. Carlos Beltrán debuted at 46.5% and would seem to have a solid chance at induction at some point down the line. Francisco Rodríguez has a more uphill battle after starting off at 10.8% of the vote.

“It feels now like my senior year in high school and I’m ready to get out,” Arroyo said. “I’m honestly ready to go.”

Injuries derailed Arroyo’s career in recent seasons and prevented him from taking the mound after June 18 this year, making his choice to walk away from the game unsurprising.

Arroyo underwent Tommy John surgery as a member of the Diamondbacks in 2014, causing him to miss all of 2015, and was unable to earn a spot with the Nationals entering the 2016 season thanks in part to a torn rotator cuff. He returned to the Reds, with whom he pitched from 2006-13, on a minor league deal last offseason. While Arroyo improbably earned a spot in the Reds’ rotation in the spring, he dealt with shoulder problems that limited him to 71 innings of 7.35 ERA ball in his final season.

Despite his health issues over the past few years, Arroyo enjoyed an eminently successful career as a reliable innings eater. He entered the pro ranks as a third-round pick of the Pirates in 1995 and ultimately broke out with the Red Sox, who claimed him off waivers from Pittsburgh in 2003. With his memorable leg kick, Arroyo emerged as a quality starter in 2004 for a Boston team that came back from a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series to stun the archrival Yankees and then sweep the Cardinals in the World Series to end an 86-year title drought for the Sox franchise. Arroyo spun 178 2/3 frames of 4.03 ERA pitching that regular season and figured prominently in a controversial playoff moment when the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez slapped the ball out of his glove in Game 6 of the ALCS.

Arroyo lasted another season with the Red Sox before joining the Reds in a trade for outfielder Wily Mo Pena. Then-Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein came to regret his decision to part with the popular, effective Arroyo, as Silverman writes.

“(Epstein’s) told me a few times (about the mistake),” Arroyo said. “The most prominent time was ’06, just before the All-Star break. He called me and said, ‘Bronson, I just want to tell you you’re having a fantastic year, and I can’t walk down the street without somebody screaming out of the car, ‘Why in the hell did you trade Arroyo?’ ”

Boston’s loss was a major gain for Cincinnati, which was the beneficiary of eight workhorse seasons from Arroyo, who totaled no fewer than 199 innings in each campaign and was part of three playoff teams in the Queen City. In 2006, his first year with the Reds, Arroyo posted a career-high 240 2/3 frames and a personal-best 3.29 ERA en route to his sole All-Star selection. In total, he logged a 4.05 ERA over 1,690 1/3 innings in his first stint with the Reds, parlaying that success into a two-year, $23.5MM deal with the Diamondbacks.

Arroyo was technically a member of six major league organizations – both the Braves and Dodgers acquired him in trades when he was on the shelf in 2015 – but pitched for four in a career that spanned 2,435 2/3 innings. He recorded a 148-127 win-loss record and a 4.28 ERA, to go with 25.8 rWAR and 24.0 fWAR, and earned nearly $82MM in the big leagues.

MLBTR congratulates Arroyo on a terrific career and wishes him the best in retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

[Related: Updated Cincinnati Reds depth chart]

Finnegan, 24, has been out since April 15 with a shoulder injury and has made just three starts for Cincinnati this season. The absence of Finnegan and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who entered the year as the Reds’ top two starters, has been a massive factor in the team’s MLB-worst 6.19 rotation ERA.

Last year, in his first full season at the big league level, Finnegan posted a 3.98 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 38.1 percent ground-ball rate in 172 innings (31 starts) for the Reds. Acquired in 2015’s Johnny Cueto blockbuster with the Royals (alongside fellow lefties John Lamb and Cody Reed), Finnegan has a 3.94 ERA in 205 2/3 innings as a member of the Reds’ staff.

As for Arroyo, the 40-year-old made a return to the Majors for the first time since 2014 Tommy John surgery this year, once again donning the uniform that he wore for the majority of his career. Once one of the game’s most consistent innings eaters, Arroyo has struggled in 2017 thanks to a fastball that has dropped to an average of just 84 mph. That lack of velocity has contributed to a sky-high 2.9 HR/9 rate and a 7.35 ERA through 71 innings for Arroyo.

Always candid and honest with the media, Arroyo said after his last outing that he wasn’t sure if he’d ever pitch again. He’s hinted at retirement due to a lack of effectiveness on multiple occasions this season, though the well-respected veteran has continued to gut out performances and soak up innings for an injury-decimated Reds staff. Now on the DL himself, Arroyo won’t be eligible to be activated until Aug. 18, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll return even when he’s eligible.

In a pair of corresponding moves, the Reds have recalled outfielder Jesse Winker and right-hander Ariel Hernandez from Triple-A Louisville and Double-A Pensacola, respectively.

The news regarding Arroyo comes just one day after the 40-year-old righty made some characteristically candid comments about the strong possibility that his career could be over. Arroyo, whose comeback attempt in 2017 has resulted in a 7.35 ERA through 71 innings, told reporters, “That could have been the last time I was on the field, yeah.” For now, at least, it seems that he’ll take some time to rest his right arm and assess whether he’s able to continue onward.

As for Cozart, the 31-year-old is in the midst of a career-year at the plate — building nicely upon the power increase he showed in 2015-16. Through 255 trips to the plate this season, he’s batting a ridiculous .320/.404/.562 with nine home runs, and while some of that is clearly fueled by an unsustainable .367 BABIP, there are also legitimate indicators of improvement. Cozart’s 12.5 percent walk rate is a career-best, and he’s chasing pitches out of the strike zone less often than he ever has in his Major League career (26.2 percent).

The extent of the injury to Cozart remains to be seen, though certainly it behooves both team and player for the absence to be minimal in nature. Cozart is set to reach free agency for the first time in his career at season’s end, and any prolonged stay on the DL (for a third straight season) would harm his free-agent stock. And, as an impending free agent, he’s also a prime trade piece for the Reds, as MLBTR’s Connor Byrne noted last night in the latest installment of our Taking Inventory series.

With Cozart on the disabled list, the Reds could move second baseman Jose Peraza over to shortstop for a brief period, turning to one of the many utility options the club possesses to handle second base for a time. That’d include hot-hitting Scooter Gennett and versatile Arismendy Alcantara, each of whom has plenty of experience there.

Here’s more from the majors’ Central divisions:

• The Tigers announced Sunday that they’ve recalled righty Anibal Sanchez from Triple-A Toledo and optioned fellow righty Buck Farmer. Sanchez will make his first major league start of the year Monday against the Mariners. After getting off to a poor start out of the Tigers’ bullpen this season, the 33-year-old Sanchez requested a demotion to the minors in May so he could work out of Toledo’s rotation. Since then, Sanchez has pitched to an underwhelming 4.60 ERA over 15 2/3 innings and four starts, though he has also notched 11.49 K/9, 2.87 BB/9 and a 45.2 percent ground-ball rate. Sanchez, who’s in a contract year and making $16MM, has been a quality big leaguer for most of his career, but he hasn’t been particularly effective since 2014.
• With his expensive salary, Sanchez has been a key part of the Tigers’ high payrolls in recent years. As mentioned, though, he’ll be off the books after this season, when the Tigers plan to tamp down their spending. “I don’t think you’ll see us spending over $200 million on payroll like we have in past. You’ll see more lean payroll,” general manager Al Avila told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Detroit is right around the $200MM threshold at the moment, per Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource, but has only managed a 32-36 record and is on pace to miss the playoffs for the third straight year.
• As of 10 days ago, Major League Baseball was looking into domestic violence allegations against Cubs shortstop Addison Russell. A resolution to the matter doesn’t seem to be in sight, writes the Chicago Sun-Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer, as Russell told him, “As far as I know I haven’t heard anything, and that’s where I’m going to leave it.”

Brewers GM David Stearns tells Nightengale that Thames was on their radar for quite some time, and Nightengale reports that their first attempt to sign him came in the 2015-16 offseason when he still had time left on his contract with KBO’s NC Dinos. Skeptics of Thames may be interested to learn that he has already been tested for PEDs early this season, in addition to the test he took at the onset of Spring Training.

A bit more on Thames and on the NL Central…

• On the subject of Thames’ selectivity at the plate, Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan breaks down the Brewers slugger’s newfound plate discipline at length. As Sullivan explains, Thames was well below the 25th percentile among Major Leaguers in terms of chasing out of zone pitches and was below the 50th percentile when it came to swinging at pitches in the zone during his first run in the bigs. Essentially, he was a free swinger that lacked the strike zone recognition to put himself in favorable counts and find pitches to drive. Now, Thames possesses one of baseball’s lowest chase rates and one of the best O-swing minus Z-swing percentages (that is to say, the percentage of pitches he chases minus the percentage of in-zone pitches at which he swings).
• It may be a small sample of work, but Trevor Rosenthal’s early command has impressed the Cardinals to the point where he’s quickly becoming a late-inning option once again, writes MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Rosenthal has yet to reach a three-ball count with any of the 10 men he’s faced, and his velocity is up noticeably from the 2016 season as well, per Statcast. Manager Mike Matheny tells Langosch that with several of the team’s setup options struggling, Rosenthal “is in the conversation” for a top setup gig following his early work. Rosenthal tossed a 100.6 mph fastball on Monday and is averaging 98.7 mph on his heater, according to Statcast.
• Bronson Arroyo earned his first Major League win in 1,038 days against the Orioles yesterday, though he told reporters after the game that he’s still a bit uncertain about how well-equipped he is to continue on as a big league starter (video link via the Cincinnati Enquirer). Arroyo said that after 75 to 80 pitches, his arm is now feeling like it used to at 100 to 105 pitches, though it’s of course still early in his comeback season. C. Trent Rosecrans of the Enquirer provides more quotes from Arroyo and Reds manager Bryan Price than are available in that video. “I want to give this team the best opportunity to win the most ballgames and that’s just the way it has to be,” says Arroyo. “…if I’m feeling tired after 75, 80 pitches all the time, there might be a time where some of the young guys step into my role and I have to be the long guy in the ’pen or something like that.” Arroyo’s candor shouldn’t be mistaken for a lack of confidence, though, and Price voiced plenty of faith in the 40-year-old veteran’s ability to continue to build arm strength as the season wears on.

A bit more from around the Senior Circuit…

• Rockies right-hander Jon Gray left last night’s contest after aggravating a toe injury that bothered him in Spring Training, and MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes that Gray will be reevaluated this morning. The problematic toe is on Gray’s plant foot on the mound, and the Rockies want to be careful with the injury so he doesn’t alter his mechanics to compensate for the pain. Gray could miss a start with the injury, though to this point there’s been no talk of him becoming the latest in a long list of Rockies to land on the disabled list.
• The Mets are planning to promote southpaw Sean Gilmartin prior to tonight’s contest in order to add a fresh arm to their bullpen in the wake of last night’s 16-inning marathon game, per Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review Journal (Twitter link). The Mets went through eight pitchers last night, including four relievers who threw two or more innings. As Helfand points out, Gilmartin and right-hander Erik Goeddel are essentially the only two viable options on New York’s 40-man roster, and Goeddel has been slowed of late by a groin injury. The Mets have long been touted for their rotation depth, but multiple injuries and the trade of Gabriel Ynoa to the Orioles has thinned out their upper-level options on the 40-man roster.
• ESPN’s Mark Saxon breaks down each element of the Cardinals’ struggles thus far in the 2017 campaign, noting that the team’s rotation and run production figure to be sound in the long run, but the bullpen and defense look far shakier. As Saxon observes, Alex Reyes’ injury now looks costlier than ever with the underperformance of the bullpen. Matt Adams continues to represent a clumsy fit for the Cardinals’ roster as well, with Saxon suggesting the team seek to trade him in exchange for a true fourth outfielder that can play all three positions. That may prove difficult, of course, as the team wasn’t able to drum up much of a market for Adams this offseason in a crowded market for players with similar skill sets.

The 40-year-old Arroyo will take the mound today for the Reds in his first big-league action since 2014, joining an uncertain Cincinnati rotation that also includes Scott Feldman and Brandon Finnegan along with a variety of young arms. (The team’s rotation schedule is uncertain after Feldman pitches Sunday and Finnegan on Monday; Amir Garrett and Rookie Davis have also started for the Reds so far this season.) Arroyo signed a minor-league deal with his old team in the offseason after missing most of the last two seasons after having Tommy John surgery and dealing with rotator cuff tears. Arroyo’s return to the Majors at age 40 after such significant injury issues suggests serious perseverance.

Before his injuries, Arroyo was a prolific innings-eater, pitching 199 or more innings in a remarkable nine straight seasons from 2005 through 2013. It remains to be seen if he can sustain anything resembling that kind of durability now, of course, given his age and health record. He made the Reds’ rotation after pitching 7 2/3 innings while allowing four runs and striking out six this spring, although the team waited to place him on their roster so that he could pitch a minor-league start last week.

Here are a few more pitching notes from around the game:

• The Phillies took home an Opening Day win after Jeanmar Gomez shut the door in the ninth, but the closer role seems far from settled. As Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports, manager Pete Mackanin acknowledged after the game that he’s “concerned” with Gomez — who gave up a two-run home run and, in the skipper’s assessment, is struggling to work down in the zone. It seems the club will stick with him for now, but Mackanin suggested continue to evaluate and won’t hesitate to pull Gomez if he’s struggling.
• Long-time staff ace Felix Hernandez left his start yesterday for the Mariners with groin tightness, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). But the expectation is that he won’t miss any time; the veteran righty says he’ll be ready for his next scheduled outing “for sure.” He did miss time last season with a calf strain that proved worse than initially suggested, though of course there’s no reason to believe this new injury will follow a similar course.
• Veteran hurler Bronson Arroyo is on track to return to the majors, as Mark Sheldon of MLB.com writes. After a sim game on Sunday resulted in “very, very positive reports,” in the words of manager Bryan Price, it seems Arroyo is slated to make his first MLB outing of the year on Saturday. Arroyo has battled injury ever since going he required Tommy John surgery in the middle of 2014, but has remarkably positioned himself to make it back to the hill at 40 years of age.

• Some Rangers officials watched Brewers righty Wily Peralta start this weekend as Texas continues to look for rotation depth, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.  It’s been a rough pair of seasons for Peralta, who was limited to 108 2/3 IP in 2015 due to an oblique injury and then posted a 6.68 ERA through his first 13 starts last season.  After a demotion to the minors, however, Peralta returned in good form, posting a 2.92 ERA over his final 61 2/3 innings.  Peralta will earn $4.275MM this season and isn’t eligible for free agency until after 2019, so Grant notes that he would fit the Rangers’ preference for a controllable pitcher.  Milwaukee and Texas have already linked up on two trades since David Stearns took over as the Brewers’ GM, most notably last summer’s five-player swap that saw Jonathan Lucroy join the Rangers.
• Barring anything unforeseen in the next week, it looks like Bronson Arroyo will make the Reds’ starting rotation, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes.  Arroyo is still scheduled for a minor league start on April 2 so he won’t officially break camp with the Reds, but the 40-year-old righty is on pace to return to the big leagues for the first time since June 15, 2014.  Arroyo has pitched in just two minor league games since that date due to Tommy John surgery and a torn tendon his rotator cuff.
• Daniel Bard hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013 due to injuries and a loss of control, though as Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes, the former Red Sox setup man is refusing to give up hope of a career revival.  Bard signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals last summer, and Gammons notes that the contract was actually a two-year pact, as Bard was in need of a significant mechanics overhaul.  Now throwing from a lower arm slot, Bard has seen his command improve.  Gary LaRocque, the Cardinals’ director of player development, thinks Bard may start the season at the Double-A level.

Elsewhere in the NL Central…

• Jedd Gyorko isn’t certain where he’ll be playing on a day to day basis in 2017, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the slugging utility infielder will have the opportunity to pick up plenty of at-bats. “I think right now it’s compete for lots of playing time,” said the skipper. “So we’re still in that same mode, and we’ll decide when we break with our club what roles look like.” Gyorko, who started 25+ games at second base, shortstop and third base last year, tells Goold that he dropped some weight in an effort to improve his range and increase the value of his newfound versatility. He also notes that so long as the Cardinals are winning, his own placement on the diamond/in the lineup is secondary. “I could be selfish and demand that I play every day and if I don’t then say I want to be traded,” says Gyorko. “That’s not who I am. That’s not who I want to be.” Gyorko will compete with Jhonny Peralta for at-bats at third base and can also play each other infield slot.
• Bronson Arroyo and Devin Mesoraco appeared in an intrasquad game for the Reds on Tuesday, writes MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. While Arroyo’s velocity in his one-inning, 15-pitch outing was around 83 mph, the 40-year-old is a bit behind after missing a week due to a stomach virus. Arroyo said he’s relieved, as his arm was already in “severe pain” around this stage last season (when a shoulder injury cut his spring short). His next outing will be a two-inning stint in a Cactus League game, per Sheldon, while manager Bryan Price said that Mesoraco could be in a Cactus League lineup by Sunday. Mesoraco admitted to feeling a bit rusty from a baseball standpoint but said that he felt good from a health perspective.

• While Devin Mesoraco’s health is still a big question mark, Reds GM Dick Williams tells MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon that the team isn’t planning to add a veteran catcher on a minor league deal.  “I don’t see any major signing there.  We’ll just have to see how [Mesoraco] responds and whether or not we have enough guys to cover the issues.”  Behind Mesoraco, Tucker Barnhart and Rule 5 pick Stuart Turner are the top catching options on Cincinnati’s depth chart.
• Williams also provided updates on Desmond Jennings and Bronson Arroyo, who are both reportedly on the verge of signing minor league deals with the Reds.  Jennings’ deal is “close” to being done, Williams said, while Arroyo’s deal has been worked out “will take a couple of days to get that physically signed.”
• The Phillies have made some solid offensive upgrades, as David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer feels the additions of Howie Kendrick, Michael Saunders and Chris Coghlan give the Phils “a fighting chance at fielding a middle-of-the-pack offense this season.”  There’s really nowhere to go but up for the Phillies (who scored the fewest runs in baseball in 2016) but they did add some lineup versatility and veteran experience, and they retained flexibility in their rebuilding process since none of the trio are guaranteed beyond 2017.
• Miguel Sano’s ability to play third base is key to the Twins’ future plans, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (subscription required).  After an ill-advised experiment as a right fielder last year, Sano is back at the hot corner, where he has displayed roughly average glovework (3.9 UZR/150, minus-3 Defensive Runs Saved) in a brief sample size of 453 innings.  According to Olney, some in the previous Twins front office felt moving Sano into a primary DH role so early in his career could be a detriment to his conditioning and lower his overall value as a player.

MONDAY: It emerged recently that the Reds had taken a look at former rotation stalwart Bronson Arroyo. Though the level of the team’s interest wasn’t clear at the time, it seems now that the organization saw some promise in the veteran righty’s workout. Indeed, Cincinnati has engaged Arroyo in contract talks that appear likely to result in a deal, according to a report from Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reporting (on Twitter).

Cincinnati has made clear that it isn’t interested in handing out any more major-league deals this winter, so any arrangement with Arroyo would be of the minor-league variety. That’s unsurprising, as Arroyo is less than a month away from his fortieth birthday and over two-and-a-half years removed from his last MLB appearance.

In his most recent work in the bigs, Arroyo provided the Diamondbacks with 86 innings of 4.08 ERA pitching. He landed in Arizona on a two-year deal after an eight-year run with the Reds. Arroyo not only revived his career in Cincy, but established himself as a tireless workhorse who could be relied upon for solid innings even in his mid-thirties.

All told, Arroyo spun 1,690 1/3 frames of 4.05 ERA ball with the Reds. While the results were rarely spectacular, that 211-inning-per-year average was plenty valuable. Though he never threw harder than the upper eighties, compiling just 5.9 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9, Arroyo managed to suppress batting averages on balls in play with his crafty pitch mix.

That track record led the D-Backs to promise Arroyo $23.5MM in free agency. Unfortunately, he rather promptly broke down and hasn’t returned to the majors since. Tommy John surgery kept him out for 2015. Though he returned to join the Nationals in spring camp in 2016, his return bid was thwarted by a torn tendon in his rotator cuff. While it seemed at one point as if Arroyo might not have another comeback bid in him, it seems he’ll give it another try.

There won’t be a return in the offing for Phillies lefty Matt Imhof, who lost his eye in a terrible accident involving exercise bands. As Imhof himself writes in a moving piece for ESPN.com, he’s returning to finish his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and will retire from the sport. He says it’s not just due to the injury, though; as he writes, “the truth is I need a change of pace after 20 years of doing the same thing.” You’ll want to give a full read to the southpaw’s powerful story of coming to grips with — and not being defined by — his injury.

As we wish the best to Diekman and Imhof, here’s the latest on the market for pitching:

• As the Mets look to bolster their bullpen, the team is still weighing a variety of free agents, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In addition to keeping open the possibility of a reunion with lefty Jerry Blevins, the Mets are also considering righties Sergio Romo and Joe Smith.
• The Blue Jays are also keeping in touch with Blevins, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s search for a southpaw reliever has also led it to consider Craig Breslow, per the report. The team was among those to check out his new mechanics recently.
• The Reds are exploring a reunion with former starter Bronson Arroyo, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, the team is not interested in guaranteeing him a roster spot, as Arroyo is two full years removed from appearing in the majors and has dealt with significant arm issues of late. GM Dick Williams confirms that the team has watched Arroyo throw and is weighing a signing, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter links). Beyond a move on Arroyo or other candidates for minor-league deals, Cincinnati is done with its free-agent signings, Williams adds.
• Speaking of longstanding veterans weighing returns, righty Jason Marquis suggested in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he’s open to reviving his career. The 38-year-old last appeared in a nine-start stint with Cincy in 2015, but he’s set to pitch for Team Israel in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
• While Dodgers lefty Julio Urias showed plenty in 2016 to warrant a rotation spot in the coming season, innings considerations may hold him back to start the year. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, skipper Dave Roberts says that the organization may keep him in extended Spring Training at the beginning of the 2017 campaign. Such an approach would not only ensure that Urias is available for good once he does make it up, but would afford more opportunities for the organization to see what it has in its variety of interesting, injury-plagued arms. Over at Fangraphs, Craig Edwards takes a look at what’s shaping up to be a fascinating staff.
• There’s an argument to be made that the Nationals not only need to address their closer situation, but also ought to bolster their rotation depth, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. While the team’s five-man starting unit is likely set, which perhaps limits their ability to promise opportunities to free agents, a swingman could make sense. Janes mentions Travis Wood as at least a hypothetical match, and he would indeed seem to make a sensible fit.
• 31-year-old Cardinals reliever Mitch Harris is hoping to join former teammate Seth Maness in bouncing back from a “primary repair” procedure to his right elbow, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Harris last pitched competitively in 2015, but will be ramping up for a full spring after undergoing the surgery last summer. Because his surgeon was able to attempt that less-invasive approach, as opposed to a full UCL replacement, there’s a possibility of a much swifter return to the hill — though Harris will first need to earn his way into MLB camp after failing to receive an invite.

More from Cafardo:

• The Indians were interested in right fielder Jose Bautista and reportedly even bid on him in free agency before he re-signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week. However, the Tribe’s pursuit of Bautista was overstated, according to manager Terry Francona. On the heels of an American League-pennant winning 2016, Francona also discussed other subjects with Cafardo – including the Indians’ signing of ex-Bautista teammate Edwin Encarnacion, reliever salaries and bullpen usage – so check out the column for the full rundown.
• Free agent righty Bronson Arroyo said a month ago that he was unsure if he’d be able to pitch again because, at the time, his arm felt “terrible” on certain days. Fortunately, Arroyo has made “great progress” and is hoping to sign with a team in late February for what would be his age-40 season, per Cafardo. Long a capable major league starter with primarily the Red Sox and Reds, injuries have kept Arroyo out of action since a June 2014 outing with the Diamondbacks. Arroyo underwent a Tommy John procedure later that year, causing him to miss the entire 2015 campaign. He then signed a minor league contract with the Nationals last winter, but he suffered a partial tear of a tendon in his right rotator cuff during spring training and has been rehabbing since.
• Interest in free agent catcher Ryan Hanigan is increasing as the spring nears, his agent, Tom O’Connell, informed Cafardo. The 36-year-old Hanigan has been available since November, when the Red Sox declined his $3.75MM option for 2017 after he batted an unappealing .171/.230/.238 in 113 plate appearances last season. Behind the plate, Hanigan also fell off in the pitch-framing department (via Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner), though he does carry a strong defensive track record.