CINCINNATI — Bronson Arroyo is preparing for an “interesting” offseason that could include dancing with the Mets.
With the Reds right-hander set to hit free agency and the Mets likely in the hunt for a veteran innings-eater type pitcher to bolster a young rotation, multiple industry sources have mentioned the 36-year-old Arroyo as a potential target for general manager Sandy Alderson.
Arroyo is 14-11 with a 3.60 ERA with 197 ¹/₃ innings pitched in 31 starts for the Reds this season. He was part of the Red Sox world championship team in 2004 and spent three seasons in Boston before arriving to the Reds in a trade during spring training of 2006. He is about to reach 200 innings for the eighth time in nine seasons, and figures to have no shortage of suitors this winter.
“It’s just picking and choosing, what’s the best place for me, trying to win another championship,” Arroyo told The Post before the Mets’ 4-2 victory over the Reds Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park. “Where you live, logistically in the world, where your spring training is, it’s all these different factors and I definitely think the Mets are a team that I would look at.”
Barring a trade, Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese and Dillon Gee are guaranteed rotation spots heading into next season. Matt Harvey remains the wild card as he prepares to begin a 6-8 week rehab program that will determine whether the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow needs surgery that would keep him sidelined for 2014.
Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom are among the Mets prospects who could battle for rotation spots, but all would be facing an innings limit next season, as would Wheeler and perhaps Harvey, if he’s part of the mix.
“There’s going to be a few ballclubs that I probably would be interested in that maybe have enough guys, where they would be like, ‘You know what, we have enough veterans here, we have enough young arms and a nice mix,’ “ Arroyo said. “And there’s going to be some ballclubs maybe like the Mets that have that nice mix of young arms, but need somebody to kind of anchor a rotation with 200 innings, so it’s going to be a very interesting offseason for me.”
One veteran talent evaluator called it a “no-brainer” the Mets would pursue Arroyo.
“He’s battle-tested, postseason-tested and he can certainly handle New York,” the evaluator said. “I think he’s exactly the Mets’ type of guy.”
The fact the Mets hold spring training in Arroyo’s home state of Florida may help the team’s chances of signing him if all other factors are close to equal. Aaron Harang, who spent five seasons as Arroyo’s teammate with the Reds, indicated the club’s decision to move camp from Florida to Arizona in 2010 didn’t excite many of the veterans.
“He pitched in Boston and I think [the Mets] would be a good fit for him,” Harang said. “The last eight years he’s pitched 200 innings — except for one year, and he missed it by one inning. Obviously he’s making every start and giving you quality innings to throw 200 innings every year. It’s a testament to his work ethic.”
Arroyo, who is making $6.5 million this year, said it would be difficult leaving the Reds, but he’s ready for anything.
“I enjoy routine so much that I don’t ever want to move from a place that I’ve been for a long time,” Arroyo said. “Even being in Boston for three years, I was terribly upset by being uprooted from that place.
“I’ve been here for eight years now, so I definitely don’t want to leave here. But I find home very easy to come by. Once I establish a routine I can make a tent my home.”