Bye Bye Bronson, Hello Willy Mo!
The writing has seemingly been on the wall since Bronson Arroyo was first claimed off of waivers back in 2003. One of many reclamation projects picked up by Theo Epstein along the way to the first Red Sox championship since 1918, Arroyo put up decent numbers for a back of the rotation guy, and did so for very little money. At the beginning of this season, while Theo was trekking the mountains of Peru with Pearl Jam (or whatever it was he was supposed to have been doing), Arroyo signed a sweetheart deal with the club’s interim GM staff, reportedly leaving a potential $4 million in arbitration on the table in hopes to become a Red Sox “lifer”. Of course, had Arroyo been paying attention in his long-by-comparison tenure as a Sox, he’d have noticed that the closest thing this team will ever see to a lifer is Tim Wakefield, and even he isn’t safe if another team has what Epstein sees as a vital cog in another championship team.
In Arroyo’s case, said cog was a 260 pound Dominican slugger named Willy Mo Pena. Pena, whose power is nothing short of astonishing, isn’t what one would call a prototypical Red Sox hitter. While the 24 year old has the ability to hit moon shots that have even Big Papi guffawing (they shared time on the Dominican WBC team), in 2005 he also stuck out at an alarming rate (one in every three at bats), and has proven less than reliable defensively. Then again, this year’s model Red Sox are looking for more pop, and, with concerns about third baseman Mike Lowell’s swing, they’ve got to add it where they can. Pena looks to be an ideal platoon mate for Trot Nixon as the youngster positively smashes left-handed pitching, and, depending on Nixon’s health, Pena could see quite a bit of time for a “bench player” (somewhere, Gabe Kapler quietly weeps).
Arroyo, obviously smarting about the trade, has been remarkably low-key about this deal and how it reflected his contract situation. Ignoring the advice of his agents, Arroyo signed a low-dollars three year deal that made him all but irresistible to the pitching starved Cincinnati Reds, who dealt Pena to Boston in exchange for Arroyo and cash considerations.
On a personal note, I’ve always liked Arroyo, but it’s hard to turn your back on a potential 45 HR a year hitter, especially one so young and cheap. And, while Arroyo has suggested that he would be happier working out of the pen in Boston than starting just about anywhere else, this move to Cincinnati would see him instantly slotted in as that team’s number two starter (albeit in a notoriously hitter-friendly park), and could very well be as good a move for him as it was for the Red Sox.
Thanks for the memories, Cornroyyo. You’ll always be remembered as “one of the 24”. Here’s hoping Cincinnati has a thriving karaoke scene.
The writing has seemingly been on the wall since Bronson Arroyo was first claimed off of waivers back in 2003. One of many reclamation projects picked up by Theo Epstein along the way to the first Red Sox championship since 1918, Arroyo put up decent numbers for a back of the rotation guy, and did so for very little money. At the beginning of this season, while Theo was trekking the mountains of Peru with Pearl Jam (or whatever it was he was supposed to have been doing), Arroyo signed a sweetheart deal with the club’s interim GM staff, reportedly leaving a potential $4 million in arbitration on the table in hopes to become a Red Sox “lifer”. Of course, had Arroyo been paying attention in his long-by-comparison tenure as a Sox, he’d have noticed that the closest thing this team will ever see to a lifer is Tim Wakefield, and even he isn’t safe if another team has what Epstein sees as a vital cog in another championship team.
