Olney says Abreu willing to settle for one year
by iLoveLamp on Jan 28, 2009 10:54 AM PST
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PrintIn Buster Olney's Blog today, he says that Bobby Abreu is willing to accept a one-year deal.
If that's the case, then I am wholeheartedly in support of bringing him on board. The guy gets on base like a mo-fo, hits for power, and is right-handed. At his age, it wouldn't make sense to take him on long term, but for one year? He's coming off a solid season, could be the primary DH, and could trade off with Vlad as often as Scioscia sees fit.
Who is slated as the primary DH? Is there a downside to this?
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
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Another right handed bat?
I dunno bout that……plus we already have too many bodies in the Outfield……adding another one (and a right handed one at that) doesnt sound like a good idea to me.
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Jan 28, 2009 10:58 AM PST reply actions
oh....hell shows what I know about the guy huh?
12/19/08 - Thank you KLJ for coming into my life.
by norcaliangelsfan on Jan 28, 2009 8:26 PM PST up reply actions
Too many bodies in the OF??
I keep hearing this, and the math seems to fail me.
We have Vlad, Torii, Juan, GMJ (after May), WIllits. That is it. There are three spots and the DH (when Naps isn’t in it, and presuming we don’t want an IF (Izzy, Aybar, Figgy) taking that).
Especially with GMJ hurt (or just existing, depending on who you ask), this doesn’t strike me as deep at all. We lose one OF from last year (GA) and add no one. How de we have too many bodies out there???
by matthiasstephan on Jan 29, 2009 4:23 AM PST up reply actions
Wood?
i am so tired of hearing about Brandon Wood.
Figgins will be back at 3B before the all-star break. Willits is nothing more than a 5th or 6th outfielder. i think Abreu or Dunn would make a lot of sense.
Light up the Freakin Halo!
Whiff here, whiff there
Best bet for the guy is Mark Reynolds.
Legit power, tendency to K way too many times.
Wood fits the profile of the next great hope, so he’ll probably get a free pass even after a .230, 25, 84, 189 K season.
I think most of us here would take that in a heartbeat
replacement level analysis
by 442 on Feb 1, 2009 9:33 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I love it and you are right!
‘Whiff here, whiff there’.. hey I actually hope we are wrong.
My guess is .229, 18 HR, 60+ RBI, 150K (would be more but won’t get enough ABs)
Light up the Freakin Halo!
Well
The worst one out of that group is given a ridiculous contract, two are getting old, one has struggled the last two seasons, and the last one sucks. And none of them can really field. Abreu fits right into that mold.
replacement level analysis
Did you just say Torii can't field??
Really. I always thought of him as an elite CF with the glove.
by matthiasstephan on Jan 30, 2009 4:41 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, we should totally judge a player's defensive abilities on Gold Gloves.
Derek Jeter has won the award three times despite every sign pointing to him being under average at SS. Rafael Palmiero won the award despite playing 28 games at 1B in one year. Nate McLouth, the outfielder that UZR and Bill James pegged as the worst OF in baseball, won the NL Gold Glove last year.
I do think fielding stats should be taken with a grain of salt, since they seem to fluctuate so much, but to say that Torii Hunter is an elite fielder at this point of his career is nothing short of asinine.
replacement level analysis
by 442 on Jan 30, 2009 5:02 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Asinine??
He owns a career .992 fielding percentage over a 9 year span not to mention his .1000 in 2008 with NO errors. Granted he did play less games, 137 in CF. But I and every other Angel fan saw some of the games he’s saved last year. The only active( not so active anymore) CF that matched his fielding over 9 years would be Andruw Jones. He is one of the most reliable and valuable CFs to play the game.
agree
Torii is an above average fielder however. Elite probably not anymore, but definitely in the top percent
Lets go angels
by anaheim angels on Jan 31, 2009 12:19 AM PST up reply actions
"Elite"?
Not elite, since Hunter’s best days are in his rearview mirror.
However, he is still better than most starting CF in the game today, and certainly much better than “a tick above average”, which was the comment which drew the responses. His D will save a run here or there, which wouldn’t be the case with Willits patrolling CF, and we already saw Figgins doesn’t have the instinct to play the position.
by George Kaplan on Jan 31, 2009 1:46 PM PST up reply actions
why wont 442 supply the numbers
Where are the numbers that show Torii hunter is terrible defensively?
All of a sudden the discussion is “grit and age and gut feeling” … no numbers back up a drastic defensive decline for hunter. none.
by Rev Halofan on Jan 31, 2009 5:47 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I never said he's terrible
I said Derek Jeter is terrible. I said Gold Glove voters are terrible. I said Torii was simply average and nothing special (at least at this point of his career)
Stats? Torii had a -11.2 UZR this year. Granted, I think it’s a fluke, as last year he had a respectable -1.4, but the year BEFORE that (2006) he had a -11.0. He had one great year according to this stats (2003) but in the other years, he has been remarkably average.
PMR? In 2008, smooth distance model, he’s 12th out of like 36 players. 30th percentile isn’t bad, but he’s not elite. A year ago, he was right in the middle of the pack. Same with 2006.
I then looked at Range Factor, and he’s 8th out of 17th. But the range for the entire group is 0.6 (from 2.3 to 2.9) and Torii is 2.6. Take that however you want.
IMO, Fielding Percentage is close to useless unless you’re talking about a 1B. You know who else had a 1.000 FP? Ryan Braun. The question about fielders is how many balls he can get to, not how many he can catch out of the ones that he gets to. I’ll admit that Torii is definitely the most sure-handed center fielder out there, which does have some value, but I don’t think you’re justified in calling him a “elite” CF.
Now that I have created this unnecessary long post about how much Torii sucks, let me qualify all of this (= back out as to not be flamed as a hater) that Torii still provides valuable play from our outfield and he’s definitely still one of the Top 5 CF in the AL in that he’s a good hitter and is a good clubhouse influence, from what I’ve heard. Plus he does a lot of stuff for the community and he’s nice to his mom. Just don’t call him an “elite” fielder.
Enough numbers?
replacement level analysis
by 442 on Feb 1, 2009 9:29 AM PST up reply actions
Meh, wouldn't be the end of the world
But we’ve got a million outfielder/DH types and I see no reason to give the Yankees a draft pick.
http://inplaynoouts.blogspot.com/ - A blog about teams I like, written by me.
Whoops
http://inplaynoouts.blogspot.com/ - A blog about teams I like, written by me.
by Carl Johnson on Jan 29, 2009 10:53 AM PST up reply actions
Abreu
If he’s going to bat righty I wouldn’t take him on even a one ab contract. Now lefty I say sign him up. We need the OBP.
My friend Ted Stevens
Has something to say about this.
Seriously, ANOTHER aging outfielder? No thank you.
Light Up That Halo!
If we hadn't signed Rivera
I’d say go for it.
But we let GA go, signed Rivera, and set our outfield already.
If Rivera breaks his leg again or otherwise gets injured and out for the season, and Abreu’s still available, then sure, let’s go for it.
If Kendry Morales doesn’t cut it at first or gets injured, then let’s either put Rivera there and bring Abreu in, or let’s take a flyer on Dunn at first.
But as it is, the ONLY thing signing Abreu would do at this point is re-clog the outfield all over again. The OF depth, again, is as follows:
RF: Vlad, GMJ, Rivera, [Morales], Willits
CF: Hunter, GMJ, Figgins, Willits
LF: Rivera, Figgins, GMJ, Willits, Quinlan
DH: Vlad, Napoli, Rivera, GMJ
If he’s willing to sign strictly as a bench RF back-up to Vlad, and occasional DH when Napoli’s injured, then maybe. But knowing Soth, if Abreu is signed then Rivera will once again get pushed out of the starting role he signed for and Napoli will rot on the bench when .227 Mathis catches every other day.
Light Up That Halo!
Dunn won't play first
Four people in a Outfield/DH rotation. Abreu is better than GMJ and Willits. Enough said
I guess I already used my Manny bomb for the month?
Dunn was for sake of argument
And it does not matter that Abreu is better than GMJ—GMJ is on the books, the organization is stuck with him, there is no way to get rid of GMJ before the end of 2009—so all the FO will accomplish by bringing in yet another outfielder is to sow dissent and clog the bench.
Light Up That Halo!
WE are under budget
So actually skill does matter.
Send Reggie to AAA where he belongs and GMJ makes a nice CF back up
I guess I already used my Manny bomb for the month?
Budget
because were under last yrs budget doesn’t mean that were under budget. i don’t think anyone in the FO has given a definite number on what the actual team budget was going to be.
theres a chance we might not be as under budget by the time spring training starts
if ervin gets a nice raise in arbitration and lackey gets a new deal, that might be about where our budget is at. Arte could be protecting himself just a tad against a bad economy and lower revenues this year with a reduced payroll. I think he knew Teixeira was worth 20 million because it made us legitimate world series contenders. Once he was gone, Arte might have shifted towards a slight rebuilld plan.
I still feel like a trade needs to be made before a guy like Abreu could be signed just to open up the logjam a little bit.
by ihearhowie2.0 on Jan 28, 2009 5:08 PM PST up reply actions
Did he say that?
Don't mess with Teix-ass or Bor-ass!
by Rally Manatee on Jan 29, 2009 7:30 PM PST up reply actions
I notice
Vlad is first on your depth chart at both RF and DH. He can’t play both positions at once, right? Abreu would be just about the perfect DH for this team (based on whats readily available). Even Scioscia won’t keep Mathis in the line-up every other day if he continues to hit as pathetically as he did last year. Napoli should get his regular cuts in. What’s wrong with some depth? Or, should I say, quality depth?
Because we already have it
OK, I’ll put this in a simpler form.
Our outfield depth right now:
Vlad
Torii
Rivera
GMJ
Figgins
Willits
(Quinlan)
(Morales)
That’s 5—count ’em—outfielders, 7 if you count the emergency subs. At any given time, if you include the DH role, only four of them can be in the line-up. If you bring in Abreu, you will have eight outfielders, half of which will be sitting on the bench at any given time, which is a colossal waste of space. Far better to have an IF back-up (Sean Rodriguez, anyone?) sitting there, or even a third catcher—Bobby Wilson, maybe—in order to allow Naps to DH with regularity—sitting there instead.
Again, it has nothing to do with Abreu’s skill. Even though I think GMJ has a lot more talent than the level he played at last year, at this point I WOULD take Abreu over him.
The problem is that the organization has placed itself in a situation in which it makes absolutely no sense to throw in another player to clog up the OF and DH spots and take playing time away from other players who we already have who need to be in the line-up.
Also, again, Rivera did not sign as a starter in order to sit on the bench.
Light Up That Halo!
hmm
I understand that the Angels won’t sign him for all the reasons you have already stated. They are, for whatever reason, happy with their outfield as is. My question is when did anyone say Rivera would go to the bench? Were they to sign Abreu, Rivera would start in left, Torii in center, Vlad and Abreu would split dh and rf duties. Matthews mercifully gets pushed to the bench, and Willits gets pushed to AAA. The offense would be improved dramatically. By my count, that is 5 outfielders, just like last season. Considering all their ages, I really don’t see it as “clogging”. We’re going to need all that depth and you know it. And if we can get Abreu on a one year deal, for less than what we paid GA last year, why the hell not?
Again, I concede that you’re right, that Matthews presence is in all likelyhood what is stopping the team from picking up one of these very affordable corner outfield bats. And thats just a damn shame.
by dmhead on Jan 29, 2009 12:08 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I agree
We are not clogged.
How did we get clogged by losing a player (GA)??
Don’t forget, we start with GMJ hurt.
What happens if someone gets hurt?? We bringing up who from AAA for the OF?? We have strong Bees for the IF (SRod, etc) but in the OF.
Do we want Willits or Figgy starting in the OF?? Really??
by matthiasstephan on Jan 29, 2009 4:27 AM PST up reply actions
Um
So there were a number of long-winded discussions/articles/etc. about how we were clogged at the beginning of last season. How we had at least two outfielders too many, and whatever were we going to do? The Halos got rid of ONE OF, GA—and now everyone wants yet another?
In terms of why Rivera would go to the bench—I’m thinking specifically of the various preferences and dislikes for players that Scioscia has shown over the past few years:
Soth, for whatever reason, appears to very much dislike Rivera. See, as reference, giving him inconsistent ABs and letting him rot on the bench for long stretches at a time throughout 2006 (until he was basically forced in late July/August to hand him a more consistent role), and after the broken leg in 2007 hasn’t really touched him.
Soth, again for whatever reason, appears to LOVE GMJ. See, for example, Soth insisting on continuing to start GMJ in the field every.day when it was more than obvious that GMJ was (a) injured and (b) not producing and when who else but Juan Rivera was ready and waiting on the bench.
Soth also loves sticking Figgy in the line-up—a good idea when Figgy’s actually producing, but not so much otherwise—and so even though Brandon Wood might finally get regular playing time at third, I can guarantee you that Soth will be finding other ways to get Figgins in there on an every day basis. So yes, given that, I can see the following happening, assuming no other moves:
Vlad RF
Torii CF
Figgins LF
Rivera/Napoli DH
Note, too, that the official Angels website has at one point or another this offseason made explicit reference to the fact that management likes the idea of Figgins playing LF if he’s not at 3B.
If Abreu were to be signed it would probably look like this:
Abreu RF
Torii CF
Figgins LF
Vlad DH
If and when GMJ comes back, however shitty he is (please don’t get me wrong, I still believe he might reproduce his 2007 pre-September numbers), Soth will have him backing up all three outfield spots. Rivers will sit on the bench and get maybe 200 ABs or so as a back-up DH.
Light Up That Halo!
Figgy
Who would you have batted as lead-of in his place last year?
Angels fan since '67
I wouldn't have
The point of that comment had absolutely nothing to do with 2008.
I’m talking about 2009. I’m not going to rehash the infinite discussions we’ve already had this offseason about Figgy’s value going forward.
The point is that even though and if B-Wood takes over third, Soth is going to stick Figgins in Left and that will be that.
Light Up That Halo!
Got it.
Again, the argument isn’t what will happen, because knowing Scioscia its pretty obvious what the plan is. And honestly, that arrangement (Figgy in left) isn’t the worst thing in the world, but its far from ideal. I guess some of us still can’t get over the whole GMJ situation. I hope you’re right, that he can at least become an average bat, but I hold very little hope.
With the GMJ situation
It just amazes me how quickly this site went from hating him—November 2006—to LOVING him, admittedly and gladly eating crow, etc. by late-early to mid-2007, to completely HATING him again by June 2008.
The man was injured. Yeah, he sucked before 2006. But his continuance of the 2006 performance well into 2007 indicates that maybe that wasn’t a fluke.
Yes, GMJ’s refusal to do what was best for the team, put his ego aside, and either go on the DL or voluntarily force himself to sit out the latter half of 2008 once it became public knowledge that his knee was torn was a terrible, terrible decision.
But I still hope that if he’s given just one more chance with the Halos, he’ll produce. He’s a great clubhouse guy, from what I understand—I mentioned this once before maybe a year or so ago, but I have a friend who, with his brother, toured every major league ballpark in the summer of 2007 in an effort to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (their mom had L/L). When they made their triumphant “homecoming” to Angel Stadium in late August/early September 2007, and were invited to tour the Halo dugout/clubhouse, other than Soth, Gary Matthews Jr. was the only Halo to voluntarily come over and introduce himself, and then spend a number of minutes speaking with them about life in OC and anything else.
GMJ’s a great guy, it seems. I truly hope to see him succeed this year.
If he doesn’t, his NTC ends at the end of ’09, and hopefully that will be that. Has he played for the Pirates yet?
Light Up That Halo!
Lets take a look
I was on this site in ‘07, and really don’t remember anyone “loving” him at any point. Looking through the archives for the first 3 months of that season, when GMJ put up some decent-but-not-great numbers, I saw exactly one post from June 5th (a game in which he hit a grand slam) that anyone mentioned eating crow. Other than that, it was alot of “well its not as bad as we thought” types of comments. Even then, the comments were tempered with “Its not this season but the last 2 or 3 of his contract I’m worried about…” And really, he was sort of floating under the radar from our venom thanks in large part to the suckitude of Shea Hillenbrand.
I’m sure hes a great guy, and that’s wonderful. Unfortunately that does not qualify him to start for a contending team, especially one as thin offensively as this one. I’m glad you have faith that at 34 he’ll return from surgery and be productive. I just don’t feel that 3 good months in ’07 is any reason to think that will happen.
You are right on
I will never understand what these people are talking about when they say we are clogged with outfielders and Juan will be on the bench. Morales is our first baseman and i’m not so sure that Quiny could make another ball club. Perfectly said, some on this site have absolutely no clue.
by cookieman 57 on Jan 29, 2009 9:22 PM PST up reply actions
Excuse you
See my reply two above your comment, indicating that I have, in fact, got a clue.
Light Up That Halo!
A one year deal for Abreu would be brilliant.
I guess running Reggie and GMJ out there is a better idea?
I guess I already used my Manny bomb for the month?
No. Really. No.
Like Raven said, if we were to sign him, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. But good grief…another right-handed outfielder. Please.
I think it’s moot though. I really believe Reagins when he says we’re done.
I don't know...I'm makin' this up as I go.
ABREU DOESN'T BAT RIGHT HANDED
So everyone who says we don’t need another right handed bat, your argument is dead.
Why wouldn’t we pick this guy up for one year? He bats LEFT HANDED, he’s better than GMJ and Reggie, his career OBP is .400+, his career OPS is .900+, he can still steal bases, drive in runs, and hit bombs.
Sure, he’s aging. But we’re talking about a ONE-YEAR DEAL.
by NoDakHalo on Jan 28, 2009 11:34 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Though his career OBP is .400, it hasn't been the last two years
He’s more like .370 now, and likely headed downward. I’d still sign him for one year, sure, but don’t get your hopes up about a career rebirth in his mid-30s.
Point taken...
But that .371 from last year still would have put him third on the Angels last year…behind Naps and Tex.
Why not resign GA then?
Angel Pitching, Angel Defense - get past that.
by vladtheimpaler on Jan 29, 2009 2:22 AM PST up reply actions
I think the problem with resigning GA ...
or getting Abreu or Dunn at this point is the role we have available.
We have a back-up role available. Let that sink in everyone. Yes, we need help, but our starters are set (Vlad, Torii, Juan). There may also be time at DH (when Vlad or Naps isn’t there). That is it.
Will Abreu accept that?? If so, sign him up.
Will GA accept that?? If so, sign him up.
by matthiasstephan on Jan 29, 2009 4:32 AM PST up reply actions
Yeah, I am game for ANY high-OBP hitter...
regardless of handedness if the price is a one-year deal.
Dunn or Abreu would be brilliant moves for the short term. Hell, I’d go for a max of two years on Abreu and for a max of three years with Dunn. This team doesn’t have any good OF prospects that will be impact players in two years and we need the OBP and SLG. Badly. Also, there is a vacant hole at DH right now that would be filled perfectly by either of those two guys.
Any game where Matthews Jr., Willits, Mathis, Izturis or any other punch and judy hitting ass-clown is DH’ing is a game where Reagins has failed the team. I like two of those players a lot (Willits and Izzy) and am resigned to the fact that the other two will be on the 25-man roster this year, but NEVER should they be allowed to DH in a major league baseball game.
Now, if Reagins makes a play for these guys and they go somewhere else, he did his best, but he hopefully isn’t burying his head in the sand as this market drops off the cliff because there are good bargains out there to be had if the player is willing to DH and play in Anaheim.
Jim Scully
Seconded.
I would also add that unlike Dunn, Abreu has two other skill sets that this team actually does put alot of value in: the ability to hit for average and steal a base when called upon. I understand the crowded outfield situation, but to me it seems to be crowded with mediocrity. Anything that pushes Matthews and Willits further down the bench is a good thing. I understand that alot of us were falling in love with the idea of Napoli getting some regular ab’s as the dh, but we have to be realistic – Abreu is still a better hitter, and Naps has more value when that offense is coming from behind the plate rather than as a dh.
he'd be a great #2 or 3 hitter....but i dont see it happening
I get the impression Arte wants to see how the economy impacts the Angels bottom line before he adds more salary.
We dont know how advertisers, corporate box sales, etc. are panning out behind the scenes. Could be a factor we’re not aware of?
Abreu
He’s probably going to hit close to .290, with 15-20 home runs, close to 100 RBIs and close to a .380 on-base percentage.
He’d be a great addition AS A LEFTY BAT for strictly one season at around $7 million.
He’d be an ideal replacement for GA – there are even grumblings about Abreu’s supposed lackadaisical approach to the outfield, so Abreu can be the new whipping boy in the Angels’ outfield.
$7 million?
If it’s a one-year deal, why do we care what the dollar amount is? Ticket prices are already set for this season!
Plus, it’s not like it’s going to stop us from throwing cash at a better free agent at this point, and once it comes down to the deadline the prorated salaries aren’t going to stop us from making a big trade.
If we have to overpay to get him – who cares? It’s only for one season!
Id much rather have Dunn
.290 15-20HR 85RBI and old – OR – .240 40+HR 100+ RBI w/ some youth!
Speaking of youth,,,, how benificial would 20 HRs before the allstar break be for this yrs team? With the younglings and all!
Is he an upgrade over Willits and Mathews?
For the additional salary? The Angels would have to get rid of Willits and Mathews playing time would about as much as Willits’ last season. So for the additional $7M the Angels would get the difference between Mathews (.250/.330/.410 70R 15HR 50RBI) and Abreu (.295/.371/.471 100R 20HR 100RBI).
It’s close.
I was uncool before uncool was cool.
Willits
Would be starting in AAA, sating the fans who want to see him play every day, while still being on call.
I don’t know if you can do anything with Matthews, but hope he rebounds. However, he is no better than a fourth outfielder and while the Angels realize they have to get something of value out of him, he is better as the fourth outfielder who may get 400 at-bats.
Neither Willits or Matthews should get in the way of acquiring an Abreu – especially if you are not locking him up for three or four years.
Abreu would provide stability to the lineup if he doesn’t get injured or falls off the cliff. If he is only looking for one year, I can see him having nearly the same effect as putting a high on-base, decent power guy in the lineup generally built around hack first guys who don’t always look to take a walk.
Agree.
If this is possible – Abreu for 1 year would be a steal.
Again, I’d like Dunn for 2 or 3 years in this deflated market if Abreu isn’t possible.
Reagins should try to nab one of these guys, for sure.
Jim Scully
close?
.40 points of OBP and .60 points of slugging is close? On what planet?
What I'm saying is close is...
the added value for $7M. Is the added value worth the extra cost. To me, that’s what’s close. Nowhere did I say Mathews is close to the player Abreu is.
I was uncool before uncool was cool.
I don't think the money matters much
I don’t want to sound irresponsible, but I don’t think anyone in the Angels considers $7M a huge amount of money for success. It’s just a matter of having the best team out there.
FWIW, Abreu was worth less than $6M last year according to calculations.
replacement level analysis
I get what you're saying.
And I agree, $7M to the Angels is different than $7M to the Royals (mainly because the Royals front office is a joke). But if this off season is any indication of how the club is thinking – more along the lines of “financial responsibility”, then they might be thinking that $7M could go a long way towards signing bonuses for all those draft picks they have coming up.
I was uncool before uncool was cool.
by WiHaloFan on Jan 30, 2009 6:14 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
No
A DH doesn’t have significant value unless he’s an absolute masher. The only player close to that definition on our team is Vladdy. With him at DH, Abreu, the second-worst outfielder in baseball, would have to go to the outfield.
replacement level analysis
I see a bit of a hole in your argument
If you’re going to put four outfielders in the lineup, one of them has to play DH. At that point it’s easy to pick out the worst fielder and choose him as the DH.
The idea that Vlad has to be the DH because he’s the best hitter is just silly. The question right now is: who is the current DH/4th OF, and would Abreu be measurably better? Regardless of your answer to question one, the answer to question two is a resounding yes.
I think I worded it wrong
Our outfield defense is simply god-awful to watch right now. Hunter projects to be average (no, he’s not the best CF in the game any more), Rivera has maybe half the range that he had three years ago (which wasn’t a lot anyway), Vlad’s slowly but surely aging, Wilits and GMJ are average at best, with both of them soundly below average with the bat. If we can put either Vlad or Rivera into the DH spot, we can take one terrible glove off the field and possibly add someone that can actually catch the ball (Bourjos in a mid-season callup, Evans? Neither can hit at the majors though, so a trade would be ideal). If we sign Abreu, we add to the conglomeration of problems that we have right now in the mess of our outfield.
Some might know that I am a huge supporter of the Angels signing Manny. That’s because Manny is so much better than Abreu with that bat so that it actually offsets some of the defensive disadvantage we gain by having two of Manny, Vlad and Rivera in the field.
replacement level analysis
Just curious
I only ask this because I’m genuinely curious, and don’t necessarily unequivocally say Hunter…who would you say IS the best CF in the game right now?
Light Up That Halo!
I've heard good things
about Go Go Gomez in Minnesota, but there really doesn’t seem to be that dominant defensive force in center field these days, does it?
I've always had an unhealthy man-crush on Carlos Beltran
But both stats and scouting from around the league seem to agree on Carlos Gomez, as dmhead says below.
replacement level analysis
Or put it this way
Vlad is better at DH because his glove hurts his value in RF.
Abreu is better at DH because his glove murders 90% of his value in RF.
Seeing that we do not have two DH spots, signing Abreu would be largely redundant. Although he does get on base pretty well, he has his decline ahead of him and the fact that he is not the elite hitter that he was.
replacement level analysis
This just in...
Abreu bats left-handed. It’s considered a curse in some cultures and can even keep you from getting some skilled-labor jobs.
Abreu is not going to be signed.
I really think that the Ninja doesnt have anything up his sleeve and is going to sit tight up until about half way through the season before deciding whether to explore a trade.
Plus, Abreu is really really ugly.
just saying.
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Jan 28, 2009 8:05 PM PST reply actions
youre right. kinda has the smushed face/oompa loompa look
by ihearhowie2.0 on Jan 28, 2009 8:31 PM PST up reply actions
nice wonka refrence
What do you with a baseball BAT?
Besides hitting pitches that are centered and FAT?
You can hit line drive doubles too
Like the Oompa Loompa Abreus DO!
by Rev Halofan on Jan 28, 2009 9:25 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
holy crap...
is that the new heckle?
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Jan 29, 2009 12:40 PM PST up reply actions
he looks like Jose Canseco and Sammy Sosa if they had a kid
by raven191 on Jan 29, 2009 2:28 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
That description...
…along with the Oompa Loompa joke are both priceless. You and ihearhowie should both take a victory lap.
by George Kaplan on Jan 30, 2009 1:18 PM PST up reply actions
Friend
I do believe you have a point there! Nobby Abreu has lost his way in the outfield and speed of the bat. Friends?
should we be worried about the A's signing him?
considering theyre not into defensive ability. Abreu/Holliday/Giambi seems like a pretty Oakland-y middle of the order
A's
I think the A’s are done with hitters. I think their last move will be their pitching for now.
Signed our good old Cal Angel Springer. No not Jerry. No not Spaniel. The Springer that was an Angel way back in 93 – 95 and sucked. Well his last 2 years with the Cardinals have been pretty good and after 16 years in the bigs, he’s become a pretty fine relief pitcher. Sort of the Ollie of Choakland.
Maybe
You have the “Britney” spaniel? Not Spears. I believe the Britneys look a lot like springers but are not great hunters. But what do I know. I love my kitty. My springer had to go back to mom because I got her too young and she needed more time at home. Sad story.
I just think we should call Russ Springer – Spaniel.
No
I got her back. But the back yard fence was too low and she ran off. This was in Dobson Ranch in Mesa AZ. I found her and realized that she wasn’t meant for a fifth of an acre. Sad. So I got into fishing on the lakes in the Ranch on a boat. Cool place to live, except for the summer.
I’m leaving later for spring training. Still have that house. Spring training is fun, especially the road trips. The nicest has always been Hi Corbett Field home of the Rockies in Tucson. This year the White Sox moved out pf that dumpy TEP where the Snakes play into the new facility in Glendale with the Dodgers. So lots of road trips with the Angels. You should come down and get away.
No, he's a full blood field Springer.
His parents are some sort of champion field Springers from a club in Oregon. We just didn’t do anything to help develop his hunting skills. Though, the funny thing is that we just got a puppy that is half field Springer and half show Springer, and his tracking of birds in the backyard has put our field Springer to shame.
Mariners
MLBRumors has it, they are in talks with Abreu if they can dump some dead weight starters like Washburn, Batista or Silva and free up salary.
whatever...
hit it somewhere in their vicinity and you got a hit.
by BryanHarvey'sMoustache on Jan 29, 2009 5:04 PM PST up reply actions
I'd rather have Adam Dunn.
Same price. More power production.
by Chzburger Jones on Jan 30, 2009 1:08 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
This is for one year
Abreu would be a great stop gap, especially if he doesn’t fall off the cliff.
This will be like signing someone like Frank Thomas a few years ago for the A’s. There is relatively low risk and if he has a great year, let the Angels ride him as far as they are going to get, but let someone else eat a possible two or three year deal after the fact.
I wanted Adam Dunn in the first place, but maybe J.P. Ricciardi [a Moneyball disciple] is right about Dunn.
Sure, there is still Manny, Abreu, GA and Dunn out there, but you’d figure Dunn would be the one signed by now since he is only 29, hits around 40 home runs a year with a high on-base percentage.
Maybe his flaws really do outweigh his monster power and on-base skills.
At this point, does anyone know what Dunn is looking for?
I heard the Bums
Are Dunn’s #1 choice, according to MLBTR. Otherwise, it’s a mystery…
Light Up That Halo!
A one-year deal? Maybe...
But according to Abreu’s agent, the “right offer” hasn’t come along. Sounds like they’re holding out for more than one year:
"We’ve been on the market for a while, and we’ve had a lot of teams interested," said Abreu’s agent, Peter Greenberg. "We just haven’t gotten the right offer yet. It’s been a very slow market over all."
Abreu made $16 million with the Yankees last season, when he batted .296 with 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases, 100 runs and 100 runs batted in. Yet the Yankees did not offer him salary arbitration, meaning they will not receive draft-pick compensation when he signs elsewhere.
The Yankees, who already had the cheaper Xavier Nady to play right field, were afraid Abreu would accept the offer and be awarded a raise for 2009. It was the same rationale they used to decline arbitration to Andy Pettitte, who also made $16 million last season. Pettitte returned last week for a guaranteed salary of $5.5 million.
"Bobby’s a very even-keeled person, and he’s been very patient," Greenberg said. "But he’s disappointed. Perplexed might be a good word. He had a good year last year, and from the offers we’re receiving, he’s very surprised — and surprised the Yankees didn’t make any effort to retain him in any way, shape or form."
Abreu, who turns 35 in March, initially hoped for a multiyear deal at a salary close to what he made last year. After Raúl Ibáñez signed with the Phillies for three years and $31.5 million and Milton Bradley signed with the Chicago Cubs for three years and $30 million, it was clear Abreu would not get what he wanted.
These are Abreu’s current options: He could accept a one-year deal and plunge back into the market next winter or continue to wait for the situations of teams to change. Greenberg said there were six or seven teams interested, but that number rises and falls.
"It’s hard to say we’re narrowing it down, because it kind of changes on a daily basis," Greenberg said. "Some teams say they need to make a deal to open up room to sign him. We’ll see. We’re going to have to decide over the next week or so."
Apparently
Abreu’s agent doesn’t want Bobby playing baseball next year.
Then again, if people are dumb enough to pay Raul Ibanez (AHAHAHAHHAHAA) $31.5 million (AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA x20), then hell, go for it.
replacement level analysis
by 442 on Feb 1, 2009 9:30 AM PST up reply actions
You know
Last season I thought about the possibility of Tex not signing with the Angels and Todd Helton popped into my head. Then I looked into it and found out that under his current huge contact he’ll get paid $16 mil in ‘09, which is not what any team wants to pay for an over-the-hill player. His contract holds a full no-trade clause. It also includes a $23 mil club option for 2012 w/ $4.6 mil buyout, which Colorado would certainly choose the buyout. It’s still a cool trade thought though, he’s 35 years old with power yet holds a career .328 batting average. And because of his season in injury last year, his value may have dropped significantly. Not to mention he plays 1B and is left handed. Just a thought, I know it won’t happen as well as it shouldn’t, just thought I’d share that.
Todd Helton
Maybe the best pure hitter in Major League Baseball I’ve seen or at least know about.
Still, do you really want a guy who has had his career in-part, inflated by Coors Field?
Last I check, he wasn’t popping 30 home runs anymore and isn’t getting any younger at 35. Unless technology allows him to find a different fountain of youth to supplement his career, it doesn’t seem like he’ll get back to those power hitting days of his prime.
He is still locked into his long-term deal for the next several years I don’t think $16 million is worth it for a guy who is basically Mark Grace these days, if healthy.
Helton
If Morales doesn’t post power numbers superior to anything Helton had shown since 2005, then something is very, very wrong.
Helton’s career Home/Road splits:
Home—.362/.461/.652
Road—.294/.394/.495
Helton’s deal is compensation for his 2001 season and the hope that he’d produce similar results for the duration of the contract. As we recall, there was a point where the Rockies and Angels were discussing a possible trade in the Spring two seasons back. Thank God Helton vetoed any idea of a trade, since the Angels would have been saddled with a player on the decline to be paid $16.6M/yr through 2010, a raise to $19.1M for 2011 and that $4.6M buyout.
Helton had an opt-out clause at the end of the 2007 season which he declined to exercise. Even he knew there was no team stupid enough to offer more money than he was slated to earn with his current deal. Deals like Helton’s and Mike Hampton’s are cautionary tales for anyone who wants to whine that Moreno was too cheap to go “the extra $20M” to sign Teixeira, as if that would have made a difference in the first place. Very long-term contracts like these rarely are happy situations in the second half of the deal.
by George Kaplan on Feb 2, 2009 4:37 AM PST up reply actions
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