There were many, myself included, who were surprised when Cashman declined offering arbitration to Bobby Abreu back in December. I had (wrongfully) assumed that Cashman would do that, thinking Abreu would decline, looking for a multi-year deal. Cashman sure looks pretty smart today, doesn't he?
Angels got a steal:Free agent outfielder Bobby Abreu and the Angels have an agreement on a one-year deal, SI.com has learned. The deal is worth a little more than $5 million and also includes incentives.
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Abreu is the only player in major-league history with 200 home runs, 300 stolen bases, a .400 on-base percentage and a .300 batting average (Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson hit the first three marks but don't have the .300 career batting average).
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Abreu lands in the bargain bin
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7 comments:
I still don't see why the Yanks don't grab him for the $5M Anaheim gave him. Swisher and Nady are both comparable in price. Nady is gone after this year anyway and Swisher is nothing special and no one thinks for a second that he's going to bat 3rd at any point, hit 20 HRs and drive in 100 runs.
Good points Marc. It would be nice to see Bobby back one more year at $6-$8M. You know what your getting - high on base %, will hit .290, hit 25 HR's and drive in 90-100. The only issue is his defense.
I would take another chance if I was Cash but looks like it;s too late.
Not even $6-$8M. It's $5M! Yanks wouldn't have to overpay to keep Abreu. Anaheim has a similarly crowded outfield and Abreu has handled NY well. No reason that I see for the Yanks not to get him at $5M and dump Swisher or Nady.
The Yankees didn't sign him because there defense is already abysmal and they don't need the offensive boost as much as they need defense. The Yankee offense will look a ton better with Posada back and Tex in the lineup.
My question is WHAT ARE THE METS DOING? They have an above average defensive center fielder and a severe need for another bat. They couldn't find 6 Million in the payroll for Abreu? Or 3 years and 30 for Dunn? The Mets are now stuck with a mediocre offense this year and are screwed at first base next year.
Sorry, but I don't see Swisher as a defensive upgrade over Abreu. Abreu may fear the wall, but still has a cannon of an arm.
And Swisher's offense can't compare to Abreu's.
I'll take Abreu every day of the week for one year over Swisher for the next 3.
Cashman looks like a genius for not offering arb, but I still get the feeling Abreu would've declined. He might've been in a similar situation to Juan Cruz. I still think it would've been worth the Type A compensation, even if there was a risk he'd have been smart enough to accept arb.
And Abreu is absolutely atrocious defensively. His arm doesn't compensate for anything. His bat is certainly a terrific bargain at $5M, but there was no spot for him on this team. I truly believe Swisher will rebound. His defense is indeed an upgrade over Abreu's.
The Braves were interested in Swisher and we could have moved him to get Bobby but not without eating payroll. That makes me conclude that the "deal" for Abreau might not be that clear-cut. No team is going to pay more for our spare parts that don't match up to Abrea if they could just sign him themselves.
That said I'd rather have the guys we have. If Nady could hit .300 and could provide the defense he is capable of at his natural position I think he would be a big upgrade over Bobby.
Bobby is excellent in that he sees a lot of pitches but way too many balls drop with him in right. Swisher also can wear down a staff while playing better D.
Ultimately though, I think giving our pitching staff outs instead of prolonged innings is the clear choice.
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