Can't say I blame him, but.....

[Guest BengalBacker]

Arroyo prefers Boston, but likes rotation spot
By Hal McCoy

Dayton Daily News

SARASOTA, Fla. — Bronson Arroyo, his flowing hair hiding his neck, walked into the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse late Tuesday afternoon wearing a T-shirt on which was printed: "Twenty Years of Excellence."

Arroyo, the team's newest pitcher, certainly wasn't wearing that shirt to honor the Reds, who have had 20 years of mostly ineptitude.

And he admitted he isn't in a celebratory mood over his move from Boston to Cincinnati, especially after buying a home just before leaving for spring training in Boston's Back Bay, within walking distance of Fenway Park, a house in which he hasn't lived in and won't live in.

Arroyo wanted so much to stay in Boston that he signed a below-market three-year contract for $11.25 million with the promise that he wouldn't traded in the near future.

How near is near? Too near for Arroyo, who loves Boston and loves Fenway Park and wanted to stay. But with seven starting pitchers lined up in Boston, somebody had to go.

"I knew it was a possibility I'd be the one because I'm a young guy (29) who has a pretty low salary that is appealing to other teams," he said. "But I really didn't think they'd trade me."

When Arroyo walked into the clubhouse, relief pitcher Kent Mercker said, "Our karaoke team just improved." Arroyo, a singer and guitar player, cut a CD last year that was No. 1 in New England, but it didn't have the best of titles: "Covering the Bases." That isn't what the Reds want from him.

Arroyo wanted so badly to stay with the Red Sox he said he preferred pitching out of the Boston bullpen then start for any other team. And he repeated it as he stood in the Reds clubhouse.

But?

"The most promising thing is that I'll get 35 starts and Dave Williams told me, 'This is not like Pittsburgh, these guys hit,'" Arroyo said. Williams, acquired over the winter from the Pirates for Sean Casey, and Arroyo spent some time together in the Pirates organization. "I won't have to worry about getting left out of the rotation.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I wanted to play in a Boston uniform," he added, looking at Cincinnati uniform number 61, the same number he wore in Boston.

Asked how he felt about coming from a winning organization like Boston to a team with five straight losing seasons and no postseason appearances since 1995, Arroyo said, "No reason this team can't be competitive, no reason to think it doesn't have a chance to win. I know it scores runs and has a big-hitting outfield."

Then he did some long-tossing, preparing to make a start for the Reds Saturday against Minnesota.