With the acquisition of Arthur Rhodes, the Reds have two 39-year-old pitchers in their bullpen.
The left-hander joins David Weathers, a free agent who returned to the Reds when he accepted the team's offer of arbitration. Rhodes signed a two-year $4 million deal after he pitched for the Seattle Mariners (36 games) and the Florida Marlins last year (25 games), combining for a 4-1 record and a 2.04 ERA. After his trade to Florida, he put together a 0.68 ERA.
Used mostly against left-handed batters, Rhodes held lefties to a .157 average last season, while right-handers hit .309.
Rhodes fills a need, a left-hander in the bullpen, as the Reds lost Jeremy Affeldt to the Giants via free agency, and Kent Mercker is headed for retirement. Rhodes joins Bill Bray as a left-hander in the bullpen.
