Let's talk about Bronson Arroyo

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think he's the Mets most likely free agent signing.

[Edgy MD]

Sings GooGoo Dolls songs.

[metirish]

I have always liked him, a little bit of the goofy about him which is fine.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

If pitchers got paid for how aesthetically pleasing their windup is, he'd make a fortune.

He kind of came off like a punk early in his career but I've grown to appreciate him more as the years go by. As a rotation-filler, much better than erstwhile teammate Aaron Harang.

Hopefully CitiField contains his dingers, at least some of them.

Wears No. 61, just like another veteran who once filled that role for us, Livan Hernandez.

[metirish]

Not sure how true it is but you hear things like" he's an innings eater", which to me seems like a back handed compliment.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's been quite durable, which in my opinion is a good quality but not much of an indicator of future performance.

[Edgy MD]

But probably a point of appeal for the Mets.

[Frayed Knot]

Much better option as long as he promises not to bring back his cornrows look.

[TransMonk]

Frayed Knot wrote: Much better option as long as he promises not to bring back his cornrows look.

Exactly my thought.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[dinosaur jesus]

Always a bit better than you think he is, and sometimes quite good. I like Bronson Arroyo.

[metirish]

Not sure which is worse

[Benjamin Grimm]

I like that he can scratch his ear with his foot. My dog can do that too!

[Edgy MD]

metirish wrote: Not sure which is worse

Cornballs. Not even close.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I think maybe it's fate. BA is a MLBS.

Arroyo�s Leg Kick Reaches Back to �86 By TYLER KEPNER As the Mets play out the schedule of another forgettable season, their younger fans might not realize just how dynamic, and influential, their team was in the mid-1980s. For proof, they can look at three stars of today. The Detroit Tigers� Johnny Damon wears No. 18 because Darryl Strawberry wore it for the Mets. The Yankees� Alex Rodriguez wears white spikes in every All-Star Game because Keith Hernandez and other Mets did so in their day. And the pitcher with one of the most unusual deliveries in baseball, Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds, said he learned his signature leg kick by trying to imitate Dwight Gooden. Like Damon and Rodriguez, Arroyo grew up in Florida before the state had major league teams. The Mets� games were broadcast on cable � Channel 9 � and often shown on NBC�s game of the week. Arroyo caught the bug. �Living on Big Pine Key in �86, that was one of the few teams we could see once in a while,� Arroyo said. �My parents loved the Mets, and I already knew that Dwight Gooden was from Tampa. It�s weird, when I first played for the Red Sox, I was thinking back to �86 and how happy my family was, and I had no idea the devastation that was going on up there.� Arroyo, 33, was a steal for the Red Sox, but they lost him just as easily. Three years after grabbing Arroyo off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2003, the Red Sox traded him to the Reds for outfielder Wily Mo Pena. Arroyo has been a standout for Cincinnati, where photographers often capture him at a freakish point in his delivery. Arroyo lifts his left leg like a Rockette, as if it is the minute hand on a watch pointed at 10 o�clock. Gooden lifted his knee high, but the stiff-leg move seems to be uniquely Arroyo�s. �I really didn�t realize it was such a different leg kick than anyone else�s until I started seeing it on film in the rookie league,� Arroyo said. �Like in high school, I knew I had a decent high leg kick, but in my mind my foot is not out there. In my mind, my leg is in the same place everyone else�s is.� Arroyo is 6 feet 5 inches, and his foot reaches about head high. He acknowledges it is not the kind of mechanics one would teach a young pitcher, but he is athletic enough to pull it off. Also, Arroyo said, his father would have corrected him if he had noticed Bronson rocking back when his leg went up. In Class AA, Arroyo said, a coach tried to make him lift his leg like everyone else, keeping the knee bent. The concern was that Arroyo would not keep his back straight and lose his balance, which would throw off his arm slot. But the alteration did not take. �By the third inning I was absolutely toast,� Arroyo said. �Because without realizing it, I could just use the momentum of my foot and it�s totally relaxed. Other people have to use their hip flexor to pick up their leg, but the momentum of my foot takes my leg up and down, and it relaxes and just falls. It�s less effort than what a lot of other people are doing, but it looks like it�s more effort.� The photographic evidence would contradict that, right? Who else but Arroyo can contort his leg into that position while delivering a pitch? Arroyo has seen the photographers� snapshots, but he tries to ignore them. �Oh, they take �em all the time,� Arroyo said. �It messes with my head.�

[Lefty Specialist]

Not sure I could watch that leg 35 times a year. It gives me the heebie-jeebies.

But certainly a serviceable arm.

[metirish]

[seawolf17]

Gives up an ungodly number of home runs, but other than that, is remarkably consistent. Between 199-220 innings the last five years with 120ish Ks, doesn't walk guys, ERA in the high 3s (3.84, 3.88, 5.07, 3.74, 3.79). I'd absolutely sign him.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Used to call him L'il Punk when he was with the Red Sox, although that was a compliment.

[Edgy MD]

seawolf17 wrote: Gives up an ungodly number of home runs, but other than that, is remarkably consistent. Between 199-220 innings the last five years with 120ish Ks, doesn't walk guys, ERA in the high 3s (3.84, 3.88, 5.07, 3.74, 3.79). I'd absolutely sign him.

And if the team is able to field the strong defensive outfield they hope to, along with the stadiums challenging dimensions, the Mets may be in a better position to absorb his downside than most.

On the other hand, that ERA pattern suggests he's about due for a hiccup year.

[seawolf17]

I eyeballed his game logs to see what the hiccup was. He had about 15 less Ks then his five-year average, and 15 more home runs than his five-year average.

[metirish]

I assume he will command a lot of money for his innings eating mediocrity?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I would hope he comes for something like 2/25 or somewhere around that.

Oh, by the way, Arroyo's agent is none other than x-Met Terry Bross.

It's fate I tell you.

[seawolf17]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I would hope he comes for something like 2/25 or somewhere around that.

2005 28 Boston Red Sox $1,850,000
2006 29 Cincinnati Reds $3,000,000
2007 30 Cincinnati Reds $4,125,000
2008 31 Cincinnati Reds $4,575,000
2009 32 Cincinnati Reds $10,125,000
2010 33 Cincinnati Reds $11,625,000
2011 34 Cincinnati Reds $7,666,666
2012 35 Cincinnati Reds $12,000,000
2013 36 Cincinnati Reds $16,445,535

I'd hope that somewhere in the 2/18-22 range might get it done, or 2/15 with incentives and an option or something.

[Frayed Knot]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I like that he can scratch his ear with his foot. My dog can do that too!

How's your dog's curve ball?

[Zvon]

Always liked Bronson and he'd fit in with the upcoming filler year fine.

[Edgy MD]

There's no such thing as a filler year, man. And there ain't no dog days. They're all precious. Either he's your man or he ain't.

[Zvon]

Edgy MD wrote: There's no such thing as a filler year, man. And there ain't no dog days. They're all precious.

I don't think I've ever approached a Met baseball season convinced that they would run in place all season long, but that's how I'm feeling about 2014. But it is baseball.

Edgy MD wrote: Either he's your man or he ain't.

Recker just got married. I'm not ready for another man.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

For 2/$20M, will he play whatever Alice In Chains song I want him to play?

[Edgy MD]

Alice in Chains? No fway! I want "Spoonman."