With the winter meetings in Orlando, Fla. starting today, Pittsburgh fans are still waiting for the Pirates to make any kind of deal.
With A.J. Burnett’s future still up in the air, the Pirates find themselves with a potential rotation spot to fill.
According to Buster Olney of ESPN, the Pirates are going to meet with the agent of Bronson Arroyo.
The Pirates plan to meet with Terry Bross, the agent for Bronson Arroyo. They have a rotation opening, given A.J. Burnett’s uncertainty.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 9, 2013
The 36-year-old right-hander started his career in 2000 with the Pirates, before moving on to the Boston Red Sox in 2003.
In three years with the Pirates, Arroyo went 9-14 with a 5.44 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP.
Since then, however, Arroyo has been a much more consistent and better pitcher in his time with the Cincinnati Reds.
Arroyo has won double-digit games in five of his last six years with the Reds and has had a sub-four ERA four out of the past six years.
To further the report, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that Arroyo is also interest in the Pirates.
Source tells me free agent pitcher Bronson Arroyo is very interested in #Pirates. I hear club is interested, too.
— Rob Biertempfel (@BiertempfelTrib) December 9, 2013
Earlier reports said that Arroyo was interested in a three-year deal, which the Reds weren’t inclined to give him.
Matthew Cerrone who covers the Mets says that Arroyo is more interested in guaranteed years on the contracted as opposed to contract value. Cerrone felt that Arroyo would command a two-year deal for $25 million, similar to Tim Hudson’s deal with the San Francisco Giants.
