Abreu Gets Multi-Year Deal With Angels

Sports News - November 6th, 2009 - Written by John

The Los Angeles Angels busted through several barriers this year, and they are rewarding who they consider to be the player most responsible.

On Thursday, the Angels re-signed outfielder Bobby Abreu to a two-year contract extension, worth $19 million with a club option for 2012. The deal wraps up the club's top priority after being eliminated by the New York Yankees in the second round of the playoffs.

Abreu originally signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles last off-season after he was released by the Yankees. He joined the team right before spring training and was credited for bringing a refreshing approach to the plate, taking more pitches than any other team member and walking 94 times, the most since 2005. He hit .293 for the year with 15 homers and 103 RBIs. It was the seventh season in a row that Abreu topped the RBI century mark. He also found the speed he lost while in New York, stealing 30 bases.

Teammates claimed his offensive style helped the club break several records, and was a key reason why the Angels exorcised their demons in the playoffs against the Boston Red Sox. Before this year, Los Angeles had lost 11 of their last 12 against the Red Sox in the postseason and were booted from the playoffs in each of their last three meetings. But they turned things around, needing only four games to wrap up the ALDS and advance to play the Yankees.

Abreu is one of several high-profile free agents the team while have to decide on in the coming weeks. The long list includes pitcher John Lackey, third baseman Chone Figgins, outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and pitcher Kelvim Escobar. The team can always choose to get younger and will be hard pressed to sign all of them, but blowing up the entire core of the team seems unlikely and will make it difficult to get back to where they were this year.

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