Bronson Arroyo signs with Nationals

LOS ANGELES -- A technical old friend, one who has never actually pitched for the Dodgers, has moved on. Bronson Arroyo has agreed to terms with the Nationals on a minor league deal with a non-roster invitation to spring training.

Arroyo joining the Nationals was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Arroyo in Washington will rejoin former manager Dusty Baker, his skipper for six years (2008-2013) in Cincinnati. The Reds were also reportedly interested in Arroyo, per Rosenthal.

Arroyo, 39 in February, spent all season in 2015 recovering from Tommy John surgery, having last pitched on June 15, 2014. A season that started with the Diamondbacks saw the recovering right-hander traded twice, once to the Braves, then finally on July 30 to the Dodgers in a three-team, 13-player behemoth.

His time with the Dodgers consisted of reporting to the team's facility at Camelback Ranch in Arizona while rehabbing from surgery.

"I'll put it this way," Arroyo told Jayson Stark of ESPN in December. "If I retired tomorrow and somebody asked which teams I played for, I'd never mention the Braves or Dodgers. Heck, I never set foot in their locker rooms. I was just kind of on vacation, throwing bullpens."

The Dodgers declined Arroyo's $13 million club option for 2016 on Nov. 6, instead paying him a $4.5 million buyout. Atlanta paid the Dodgers $7.45 million as part of the trade, which covered the option buyout plus all but about $528,000 of his remaining 2015 salary.

Arroyo, who averaged 207 innings per year for a decade (2004-2013), including topping the 200-inning mark eight times, is 145-131 with a 4.19 ERA in 15 major league seasons for the Pirates, Red Sox, Reds and Diamondbacks.