With only a week or less left before Spring Training in Sarasota, one of the free agents that the Baltimore Orioles were looking at decided to go elsewhere.
Bronson Arroyo has decided to stay in the National League and signed a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
From ESPN: Free-agent pitcher Bronson Arroyo and the Arizona Diamondbacks have reached agreement on a two-year, $23.5 million contract with a club option for a third year, team president Derrick Hall confirmed Friday.
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Arroyo is 138-127 with a 4.19 ERA over 14 seasons with Pittsburgh, Boston and Cincinnati. He's pitched for the Reds since 2006, when they acquired him from the Red Sox in a trade for outfielder Wily Mo Pena, and was 14-12 with a 3.79 ERA and 124 strikeouts last season.
Arroyo's trademark is durability. He's surpassed 200 innings in eight of the past nine seasons. The lone exception was 2011, when he battled Valley Fever, mononucleosis and a case of whooping cough that caused him to lose 17 pounds. He still made 32 starts and logged 199 innings, and he has yet to appear on the disabled list in the big leagues.
It’s too bad for the Orioles, as they could have really used him on the team. I had a feeling that Arroyo was going to stay in the National League. Honestly, he has been a durable pitcher, but I don’t know if he would be a fit for the Orioles.
Although Arroyo had success with Reds since 2006 and pitching in their small ballpark, the lineups in the American League East are very deep. I’m not sure he would have fared well with the Orioles.
Then again, Arroyo would have given the Orioles veteran experience at the top of the rotation and would certainly be a good bet to take the mound every when his turn came up. As well, he would have been certainly an innings-eater and a reliable part of pitching staff.
I’m curious what the Orioles will do with the time left before they get to Sarasota.
As is, they have a solid pitching rotation; however, it is not elite, nor do I think would be deep enough to contend.
Something still needs to happen.
