Boy, Rosenthal is chock full-o-rumorly goodness this morning, isn’t he? After the Uggla and Boras stuff, he passes along word that the Reds and Bronson Arroyo will likely do a two-year deal this week. Actually a three-year deal, as Arroyo’s $13 million option for 2011 -- which has already been picked up -- would wrapped into the deal, setting the baseline price. Rosenthal believes it will be a $36-39 million deal in all. As we’ve said before, Arroyo is nice durable starter. It’s possible that, yeah, he’ll be a nice durable below average starter by the time 2013 rolls around, but in a world of unsure bets, Arroyo is about as safe as they come.
Rosenthal adds that the Reds’ long term dealing may not end with Arroyo, though, as Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez are all arbitration eligible. I agree with Robo that Votto may be well-served to go to arbitration this year and wait a year to do a long term deal, what with Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez all likely doing much to raise the salary ceiling for first basemen. And it’s not like he’d leave a ton on the table in 2011 if he went to arbitration, with Ryan Howard’s epic deals serving as decent enough comps for arbitration purposes.