Starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo maintains that a return to the Reds is unlikely and he has not talked to the organization since the end of the season, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
Reds, Bronson Arroyo not negotiating contract
Arroyo is a free agent following the end of the 2013 season with a return to Cincinnati unlikely.
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Arroyo, 36, believes the Reds will not even make a qualifying offer, something they would need to do if they hoped to reap draft compensation for a team signing him. However, if Arroyo were to accept the team would be forced to pay him around $14 million for the 2014 season.
“The sense I get is by not having any conversation with me, is they’re going in a different direction. [Assistant GM] Bob Miller usually likes to get a leg up on these things and have a conversation,” Arroyo told Sheldon.
Arroyo has previously said that he did not foresee a return to Cincinnati in the offseason. He is looking for a three-year deal worth around $13-14 million per year, something the Reds are unlikely to hand out with five good starting pitchers already in the rotation, something they managed in part due to rookie Tony Cingrani’s emergence while Johnny Cueto was on the disabled list in 2012.
It is possible a hole could open up should the Reds decide to trade Homer Bailey. However, such a trade would likely be partly a cost-cutting technique. Arroyo believes the team would not want to dole out a big contract to fill a rotation spot.
The Reds first acquired Arroyo in 2006. He has been a solid member of their rotation ever since. In 2013, he started 32 games and posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has thrown at least 199 innings each of the last nine seasons.
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