Boston Herald article 3/21/2006

Bronson, the joke is on you
By: Gerry Callahan

"You bleeped up. You trusted us."-Otter to flounder in "Animal House"

Maybe someday we'll understand why the Red Sox traded away a 29-year-old pitcher who never iced, never whined, never called his manager an idiot and never wanted to play anywhere but Boston. And maybe we'll eventually fall in love with young Willy Mo Pena, who was "No.1 in the big leagues" as Theo Epstein explained yesterday, "in strikeouts-per-at-bat last season."

Pena may thrive in FenwayPark and in the Sox' lineup. And he may make Theo look as smart as the last big, powerful, underachieving Dominican slugger made him look. Maybe Pena will turn out to be another Papi-sized steal, a guy who finally reaches his potential and becomes a super star, not just a serviceable major leaguer. And maybe Arroyo will never again win as many as 14 games.

Maybe it will all make perfect baseball sense by midseason. For now, however we can't overlook the grave injustice the Sox have committed. This better turn out to be a brilliant deal because what the Sox did to the entire baseball world is close to the unpardonable sin.

The Red Sox yesterday, made agents and the player's union look good.They gave tons of ammunition to all those smarmy charactors who tell the players that there is no loyalty in the game, that they must live their lives like mercenaries and never, ever trust the fat cats across the table.

It wasn't a violation of the rules of baseball, but it's like steroids or greenies: maybe someday.

While kids across New England were taking down the Bronson Arroyo posters from their bedroom walls yesterday, agents were doing the opposite. Arroyo is their poster child now. They're going to put his picture up in their offices, a pointed reminder to any client who might be thinking about giving his ballclub a hometown discount.

This is what happens, son. This is what they do to guys who give away two years of arbitration and sign for below market value. They ship them off to Cincinnati. Do you want to be the next Bronson Arroyo?

Indeed, there's a new verb in the agents' lexicon. If you get traded after giving the team the hometown discount and telling everyone how much you love your employer, than you've been Bronsoned.

Do you want to get Bronsoned? Wake up, kid, or you're gonna get Bronsoned.

The Red Sox yesterday denied ever assuring Arroyo that they'd hang onto him after he signed a three-year, $11.25 million deal on Jan. 19.
"There was no handshake, no gentleman's agreement." Theo Epstein said.

That may be true, but so is this: Arroyo thought he had atleast bought himself another season with the Sox by stepping over his agent's dead body and signing the deal.

Here's what he said when he reported to spring training a month ago: "As long as they gave me somewhat of their word that they weren't planning to trade me right away, I felt comfortable."

The irony is that Arroyo probably still would be with the Sox if he wasn't so determined to, well, be with the Sox. Do you think the Reds would have wanted a guy who was on his way to arbitration after one season? Another 14-win season, and Arroyo would have approached Matt Clement on the salary scale.

When Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington, the Red Sox' temporary co-GMs, signed Arroyo, they had to be thinking, "What a sucker." Which is precisely what Gregg Clifton, Arroyo's agent, was thinking. And shortly thereafter, the Sox' phones started ringing. Nice job tying up Flounder Arroyo , guys. So what do you want for him?

What the Red Sox untimatly got was 245 pounds of potential. In his last 647-at-bats, Pena has 224 strikeouts. His on base percentage last season(.304) was as ugly as Carmela without makeup. And his career OBP (.303 total, .285 against right-handers) is even worse. Of course, in Boston, he can be handled like a Hummel figurine, used only against left-handers and hidden behind Manny and Ortiz in the line up. And if it works out as the Sox hope, he'll be ready for full-time duty next season, when Trot Nixon's contract is up and/or his body gives out.

If the trade doesn't work out, the Sox still have six starters, including the anti-Arroyo, David Wells.

Still more irony for Bronson to digest as he departs: Wells, who demanded a trade in the offseason, still is spreading his charm throughout Red Sox camp. He showed up out of shape. He called his manager an idiot. He called the commisioner a piece of bleep. He complained about possibly being left out of the starting rotation at the beginning of the season.

Arroyo did none of the above. On the contrary, he said he'd gladly go to the bullpen. He'd do whatever his manager asked, whatever the team wanted.

Yesterday, the team wanted him to pack his bags and head to the Reds. The Sox played their resident rock star like a bass guitar and rewarded him for his loyalty with a bus ticket to Sarasota Fla.

In baseball, they've got a phrase for that now: He's been Bronsoned.