Here’s a little news item while we await the start of Game 4 between the Giants and Braves.
Reflecting on a season that resulted in the first All-Star selection of his career and a trip to the postseason, Arthur Rhodes told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com today that he is interested in returning to the Reds next season.
Rhodes, who turns 41 later this month, posted a 2.41 ERA in 135 appearances over the length of his two-year, $4 million contract with the Reds. The veteran left-hander tied a major league record with 33 consecutive scoreless appearances earlier this season.
Rhodes projects to be a Type A free agent this winter, but offering arbitration isn’t necessarily a given. Many teams will be unwilling to surrender a first round pick in order to sign a reliever, so there’s always the chance that he could accept arbitration, sticking the Reds with a pretty hefty contract for an aging left-hander who was bothered by plantar fasciitis throughout the 2010 season.