No, Really? Arroyo?

Bronson Arroyo’s name is suddenly popping up in trade rumors. One source reported a deal with the Yankees was imminent, but it turns out that was nothing more than a rumor. Nothing is going down, at least not yet, but apparently Arroyo is on the Yankees’ list of potential moves.

Wait a sec…a team is actually interested in Bronson Arroyo? Really? The Bronson Arroyo of the 5.49 FIP? Arroyo hasn’t been very good since 2006, which also happened to be the season he was sent through the meat grinder. For some reason he was allowed to pitch 240 innings for the non-contending Reds that year, and former GM Wayne Krivsky signed him to a 2-year $25 million extension. He has since been your run of the mill league average innings-eater, but has really hit the wall this season. His strikeouts are down, his walks are up and he’s allowing 1.6 homers per nine. Moving from Cincy to the new Yankee Stadium would likely only exacerbate the case of acute gopheritis. The Yankees are pretty much lock for the playoffs as things stand, there’s no point in them adding Arroyo, even if he modestly rebounds as ZiPS projects him to. (4.66 FIP over the rest of the season.)

Arroyo is probably a 1.5 WAR pitcher next year but is going to get paid like a 2.5 WAR pitcher. He’s due $4 million the rest of the season, $11 million the next season and has a $11 option the following season, with a $2 million buyout. It’s hard to fathom that his option would get picked up. Unless the Reds are willing to eat the vast majority of his salary, any GM trading for Bronson Arroyo should be immediately fired for incompetence. It would be essentially be paying for the privilege of flushing $6 million down the toilet.