There he was waiting for anyone to grab him. He was just sitting there, waiting for someone to make an offer. It wasn’t until February 11th that Bobby Abreu signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and he produced all right.
The former All Star signed a measly one-year, $5 million contract, compared to the $16 million he had made the previous year with the Yankees. Looking at all the offseason acquisitions, I really think Bobby Abreu was the best value.
While Abreu was waiting, Milton Bradley had just cashed in on a three-year $30 million deal about a month earlier. Bradley’s struggles with the Cubs have been well-documented. While Abreu was giving the Angels bang for their buck, Bradley was shut down by the Cubs in late September.
Again, I have to repeat that anyone could’ve had this guy—anyone. While the Cubs got the least valuable player of the year, the Angels got a player who hit .293, posted an on-base percentage of .390, slugged .435, stole 30 bases, drove in 103 runs, and hit 15 homers—compared to Bradley’s .257 average, .378 on base, and .378 slugging.
Now, the Cubs are looking for any taker on Bradley’s baggage and his hefty contract, while the Angels got the best value for really nothing.
Another guy who also cashed in this offseason was Pat Burrell. Burrell signed on January 6th with the Tampa Bay Rays for a two-year deal worth $16 million. Burrell was also a huge disappointment, missing 40 games compared to Abreu’s 10. Burrell disappointed Rays’ fans as he hit .221, posted a .315 on-base percentage, and slugged only .367. Burrell power also never showed up, evidenced by his 14 homers, and drove in 64 runs.
The guy who cashed in the most was Manny Ramirez. No, I’m not saying Abreu is a better player than Manny, I’m just saying Abreu was a much better value and had a better year. Manny was making about $24 million, compared to Abreu’s $5 million.
Obviously we all know Manny missed 50 games due to the suspension, but even during his time Manny wasn’t the Manny of old. Manny batted .290, and drove in 63 runs, though he did post higher slugging and on-base percentages than Abreu.
Abreu was making only $5 million and posting great numbers. Looking at a lot of teams this year, most of them would’ve jumped on Abreu the first month of free agency had they known they could get a top outfielder for a pittance. In fact, if it weren’t for the economy, Abreu may have gotten more than a year.
Bobby Abreu really is the best offseason signing this year.
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