Nationals sign Bronson Arroyo to minor-league deal

The Nationals have signed right-hander Bronson Arroyo to a minor-league deal, as Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reported. MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports that the deal will include a $2 million base salary if Arroyo is on the Nationals' major-league roster, and can max out at $8 million if all incentives are reached.

Arroyo, who turns 39 next month, drew strong interest from many clubs this winter, with the Reds, Pirates, Padres and Marlins among the teams looking to sign him. The right-hander missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but spent time in three organizations (Diamondbacks, Braves, Dodgers) due to creative trades involving cash changing hands.

Arroyo will provide rotation depth for Washington behind Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark and Joe Ross. He will be reunited with former Reds manager Dusty Baker, who also pushed for the team to sign free-agent right-hander and former Red Mike Leake earlier in the offseason before Leake signed with the Cardinals.

Arroyo is a veteran of 15 major-league seasons with the Pirates (2000-02), Red Sox (2003-05), Reds (2006-13) and Diamondbacks (2014), owning a career 145-131 record and 4.19 ERA while logging at least 199 innings in nine straight seasons from 2005 to 2013. He was an All-Star in 2006 with Cincinnati.