The Reds recently exercised Bronson Arroyo’s $11 million option for 2011. It has now been torn up and replaced by a three-year extension worth $35 million reports Ken Rosenthal.
Arroyo once looked like he’d be a free agent this winter, what with a contract that seemed overpriced on a non-contender. But then a funny thing happened. The Reds started winning, Arroyo kept on taking the mound every fifth day and he kept on getting guys out at a pretty steady clip. He went 17-10 in 2010, with a 3.88 ERA in 215 innings. His strikeouts are down a touch from his peak but his walk rate is pretty steady. In a world where Zach Duke gets $4.5 million a year, paying Arroyo $11.6 million a year doesn’t seem crazy at all.
