Where Have You Gone Bronson Arroyo?

The Cincinnati Reds have lost a player whose impact is greater than his production.  Bronson Arroyo, pictured below with his signature leg kick, has signed a two year deal with a team option third year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  On paper, losing a 36-year-old soft toss specialist is not a big loss.  However, Arroyo is not your typical old pitcher.

While many pitchers struggle with a decline in their velocity, Arroyo has long leaned on pitch location and an unpredictable array of pitches.  No one will confuse Arroyo with Clayton Kershaw but in four out of the last five seasons, Arroyo has finished with an ERA between 3.74 and 3.88.  On its own, that little statistical nugget is not eye popping yet Arroyo has managed to be consistent while eating innings, 202 last season, pitching in the Great American Ball Park.

Arizona’s ballpark is not a pitching Mecca and Arroyo may finally show signs of age.  What he does on the diamond is less important than the simple fact that the Reds have allowed a clubhouse leader to leave at a critical juncture.  Cincinnati has a new manager in Bryan Price.  The Reds former pitching coach has moved up and will surely be preoccupied with larger issues than how his former pupils are adapting to a new coach.  Arroyo could have provided his usual calming and steadying influence for a relatively young staff during the transition period.

Instead, one of the talented but young members of the staff will likely dive into that role.  That means that Homer Bailey or Johnny Cueto will feel additional pressure and responsibilities this season.  Would Aroldis Chapman be a possible role model in the bullpen, should Bailey or Cueto fail to become the leader?  That thought alone should have led to resigning Arroyo.  The Reds are a team that has played well in the regular season but failed expectations in the playoffs.  Price’s mandate is to do what Dusty Baker could not, win a postseason series or even two.  Continuing to have success in the ever-competitive NL Central without a key team leader means Price is already facing a hitter’s count and his new team has yet to take the mound.