Yesterday we heard that the Pittsburgh Pirates had checked in on Bronson Arroyo. Buster Olney reports today that they plan to meet with Arroyo’s agent.
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
Rob Biertempfel, who broke the original news on Arroyo, says that the right-hander is very interested in the Pirates.
Source tells me free agent pitcher Bronson Arroyo is very interested in #Pirates. I hear club is interested, too.
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) December 9, 2013
The news on Arroyo indicates that the Pirates might be looking for alternatives to A.J. Burnett. The two pitchers aren’t the same at all. Burnett has been a top of the rotation pitcher the last two years. Arroyo is more of a strong number four starter. His value comes from the fact that he can provide league average numbers and throw 200 innings per year. He has thrown 199+ innings each year since 2005.
Arroyo would bring depth to the Pirates rotation, which would help in the short-term. In the long-term, they might be better off giving a shot to Stolmy Pimentel or giving another chance to Jeff Locke. The signing of a starting pitcher means that neither of those options would get a shot at the rotation, unless Wandy Rodriguez wasn’t healthy to start the season.
UPDATE 11:54 AM: The Twins will also be meeting with Arroyo’s agent.
I'm told the #MNTwins will meet with Arroyo's agent this afternoon.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) December 9, 2013
UPDATE 2:58 PM: Ken Rosenthal reports that the Twins are pushing hard for Arroyo and that the talks are gaining momentum.
Sources: #Twins making push for Arroyo, talks gaining momentum.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 9, 2013
