Bronson Arroyo had a great eight-year run for the Cincinnati Reds. He had 105 wins and pitched at least 199 innings every year. That success, however, is no reason for the Reds to sign the 38-year-old soft tosser despite his expressed interest in pitching for the Reds again.
The Reds auditioned rookie starting pitchers for the last 64 games of a dismal 2015 season. Raisel Iglesias and Anthony DeSclafani showed the most promise among the Reds’ rookie starters from last year. Michael Lorenzen and Brandon Finnegan showed flashes of dominance in some of their starts. John Lamb, Keyvius Sampson and Jon Moscot also started games last year and remain on the Reds’ roster.
Homer Bailey will rejoin the rotation once he fully rehabs from Tommy John surgery. Between Bailey and last year’s rookies, there’s no need for Arroyo even as a potential mentor. The Reds’ starters need to learn their trade on the mound with as many starts as possible. Watching Arroyo pitch their innings won’t help them.
The Reds also have starting pitcher prospects who could find their way into the rotation sooner rather than later. Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed will likely start the 2016 season in Triple A but could be quickly promoted to the big league rotation.
Despite the need to develop a future rotation, the Reds still may sign Arroyo if no other team offers him a contract. Saving face from what has been a disastrous offseason so far for the Reds may trump on-field rebuilding.
Arroyo was a fan favorite during his time in Cincinnati. The Reds are already paying him until 2021 in deferred salary as part of his contract extension with the Reds in 2010.
But if the Reds are interested in bring anyone back, maybe that should be the general manager who originally stole Arroyo in the 2006 trade that brought him to the Reds — Wayne Krivsky.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
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