Though rumors connecting the two sides have dissipated a bit recently, the Dodgers remain in "active talks" with right-hander Bronson Arroyo, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
The Dodgers at one point were said to have Arroyo's name on a "short list" of fallback options in the event that they were unable to land Masahiro Tanaka. That proved to be the case — Tanaka signed with the Yankees — but since missing out on the Japanese ace, Los Angeles has been linked more heavily to infield depth than starting pitching options.
Certainly, some could make the case that Arroyo is a luxury for the Dodgers rather than a need. The team already boasts a rotation consisting of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-jin Ryu and Dan Haren, with Josh Beckett and Stephen Fife as candidates for the fifth slot (Chad Billingsley, too, will be an option in the summer once his rehab from Tommy John surgery is complete). Nevertheless, the Dodgers have perhaps more financial flexibility than any team in the league and could decide that Arroyo is the final necessary piece to a World Series push.
The highly durable Arroyo has rattled off at least 199 innings in each season dating back to 2005 and has thrived in the hitter-friendly confines of Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park, posting a sub-4.00 ERA there in each of the past four years. A move to the more pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium could further benefit the veteran right-hander as he enters his age-37 season.
If they sign him it’s safe to say that the Dodgers will not be signing any of the potential 2015 free agent starting pitchers (Max Scherzer).
If the Dodgers sign Arroyo to a 2 yr deal, then, I agree, that would likely take the Dodgers out of any FA SPs next offseason.
Haren has an option for ’15 if he throws 180 innings or more this season. He could hit that.
If he does, then the rotation would be full for ’15, again.
We’ll have a lot of starting pitchers ready from the minor leagues by 2015. Z. Lee, & Stripling should be ready by next April, with maybe even Julio Urias ready by mid year. Its a good time to be a Dodger Fan.
“World Series or bust”. I’ll go with bust, again.
Dude you’re so funny, can’t even handle it
I like this. The more starting options you have, the more you can afford to bench Kershaw in an NLCS.
It’s hard to envy a team who hasn’t gotten past the NLCS in over 25 years.
Agreed. Did you not see what happened to our SP last year?
I imagine the Dodgers know a lot better than all of us as to the condition of Beckett and Billingsley and how much they can count on either or both of them in 2014. If they sign Arroyo I would expect it’s because they feel they need him.
I say sign him. Imagine Kershaw’s hair and Arroyo’s in one rotation?
I’d personally be in favor of just allowing Zach Lee to be the #5 guy if Beckett can’t go or is ineffective. I just don’t like the upside with Arroyo and I want to get younger, not older.
Billingsley is going to be an interesting case. My hope is that he comes back from Tommy John surgery like John Lackey did. And Chad is a few years younger.
Morse will produce more than Kemp this year at 1/5 of the cost. Lincecum will have a mid 3 era. Willis wasn’t signed to a major league deal. The Giants will win the season series against the Dodgers, again. And again we’ll watch the Dodgers fail to make it to a World Series.
I initially thought you said “Tim Lincecum” not “Tim Hudson”. I’d easily take Hudson over Haren.
“Morse will produce more than Kemp this year”
Wow, you really made that statement, and you believe it??? Do you watch much baseball, or only the Giants? If you really believe that, then you’ve lost all credibility. Just sayin.
Wow, winning the season series but conceding the division. Way to take solace in something.
The only thing Morse can do better than Kemp is hit batless HR’s.
Have you been watching baseball? What gives you the impression that Kemp will spend more than 3 months on the 25-man roster?
We have been watching. Kemp has had one season where he was plagued by injury. Michael Morse has not been injured and he is terrible in the outfield and has a decent bat at best. If you think Michael Morse is a better baseball player than Matt Kemp that’s fine. I’m sure you would prefer Tim Hudson, Matt Cain looks like he can use all the help he can get to not look like a total joke.
Morse has been injured too smarty pants. But he’s healthier than kemp at the moment. Do I think morse is better than kemp? Of course not. Do I think morse will play enough to out produce kemp? Yup, that’s my prediction. Cain had a sub 3 era during the 2nd half of 2013. The guy had 1 bad half of a season for the first time in 5 years. And he’s a total joke you say? I wonder how much your bitterness played a role in that comment.
Hanley, I see you. But, I don’t see your ring. Cain, I see you and both of your rings. Yea, Cain is a joke alright.
I want your bird
I never conceded the division, I didn’t even bring it up. I think it will be a tight race. But, we all know who will do the most damage by being in the playoffs, and it isn’t the Dodgers.
Well he sure is pitching like he’s got two rings and has nothing left to prove. The Giants won two rings when Frank McCourt held the Dodgers hostage. Our new ownership has proven that it will stop at nothing to make the Dodgers a winning team again. We didn’t win a world series but the Dodgers future looks bright. A division win and Cy Young award aren’t to shabby by the way.
McCourt owned the Dodgers in 2012? How is it that you obtained Crawford, Gonzales, and Beckett that season? A division win and a CY Young aren’t to shabby but it isn’t a title, especially since it’s a team sport. Even Tim Lincecum won two Cy Young awards, but the team backed it up with 2 titles. The last few months of the season Matt Cain was back to his 2.63 ERA self. How is it you can rip on the Giants pitchers, when the last time we saw Kershaw pitch he allowed 7 runs? Perhaps a little more balance in your opinion could reveal more accuracy.
I love that you put words in my mouth. 1. I never said that Morse was better than Kemp. I said he will be healthier and produce more. 2. I never said Kershaw was a crappy pitcher. I said he blew it in the biggest game of his life. My favorite part about Dodger fans is summed up by yourself. Big talk, but it ends with talk. Every year Dodger fans say to me “we will win a World Series this year”. When in reality there should be no big talk until you do it. Actions speak louder than words. I look forward to another response from you.
My favorite part about Giants fans is how they have convinced themselves that they have all been Giants fans for a long time. I have friends that are Giants fans from San Francisco, they told me that in the 90’s you couldn’t convince people to go to a Giants game. The Dodgers haven’t won a world series since the 80’s but at least we’ve all been fans since then. I agree two championship will create one heck of a bandwagon, but we all see past that. Trust me theres a reason Giants fans have the mottow “We’re not crazy”
You lost me as soon as you started typing.
My favorite thing about Dodger fan attendance is that when you add up all the fans in attendance who stayed for the whole game you get about 20% of the claimed total. My favorite Dodgers motto (that originated in Brooklyn) is “There is always next year”. I like it because it still pertains today.
My favorite thing about Dodger fan attendance is that when you add up all the fans in attendance who stayed for the whole game you get about 20% of the claimed total. My favorite Dodgers motto (that originated in Brooklyn) is “There is always next year”. I like it because it still pertains today.
wow, what a skill! I love how nobody actually ready was I said. I didn’t say Morse is better than I Kemp. I said that I think Morse will be healthier, therefore get more playing time, therefore produce more. Try some other whitty comeback next time.