Bronson Arroyo is expected to sign with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN. Bowden reports that, although Arroyo would prefer to pitch on the East Coast, he will soon sign on the West Coast. The Dodgers and D'Backs had previously been rumored as two of the three "finalists" for Arroyo's services.
Bronson Arroyo will sign with a West Coast team, per report
The right-hander is likely to land with either the Dodgers or the Diamondbacks.
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport
Los Angeles and Arizona both have strong rotations but could each use another reliable starter to deepen their staffs. The Dodgers feature a fearsome quartet of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu and Dan Haren, but are currently relying on a bounce-back from either Josh Beckett or Chad Billingsley to fill the fifth spot. Both of those pitchers are good when healthy, but they each dealt with major injuries last year; Beckett underwent an operation for thoracic outlet syndrome in July, and Billingsley had Tommy John surgery in April.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks find themselves thin on starting pitching after trading Trevor Bauer, Ian Kennedy and Tyler Skaggs over the last 14 months. The rotation currently includes Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley, Trevor Cahill, Brandon McCarthy and Randall Delgado; of that group, only Corbin and Miley turned in ERA+ figures over 100 or pitched more than 150 innings last year.
Given each team’s situation, Arroyo would be a good fit for either rotation thanks to his durability and consistency. The right-hander, who turns 37 later in February, has tossed at least 199 innings in each of the last nine seasons. During that time, he has notched a 4.10 ERA (104 ERA+) and has failed to post at least a league-average ERA only twice. He’s not an ace, but he could provide stability as the fifth starter for either squad. Although Arroyo’s name has been thrown around in a lot of rumors this winter, a market has been slow to develop for his services; he recently lowered his asking price to a two-year deal in order to speed up negotiations.
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
