LAS VEGAS -- The Cubs, Rays, Dodgers and Angels are among teams that have expressed interest in star free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu.
But the outfield market is generally slow, and a few big-market teams will first be waiting to see what happens with Manny Ramirez first. Since Ramirez is waiting on free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, it could be awhile before a few accomplished free-agent outfielders sign new contracts.
The reported signing Friday of Raul Ibanez by the Phillies for $30 million over three years may provide some encouragement for some of the productive outfielders remaining on the market, like Abreu, Adam Dunn and Milton Bradley. While Abreu's disinclination to run into walls is well-known, it's allowed him to remain healthy and productive his whole career. Some teams look at that as a positive.
Beyond being one of three players to drive home 100 runs each of the past six seasons (Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols are the others), Abreu, who hit .296 with exactly 100 RBIs and 100 runs last year, led the American League by hitting .382 with two outs and runners in scoring position.
Damaris Lewis
Brooklyn Decker
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Back in Time: July 3
Comments (17) Add A Comment
good pro hitter but a nightmare when he gets near a wall in the outfield....good arm but is shaky and tentative defensively....don't know how important it is but lacks fire and just feel he was a bad influence on Cano and melky.... it is just not meant to be fun playing for the Yankees...that is just the way it is.....the anti-O'Neil.
fogboy
Oak Ridge , NJ
Total Comments (3)
good pro hitter but a nightmare when it comes to going after balls near a fence...shaky and tentative defensive player....hate to say it but he lacks fire and feel he was a bad influence on Cano and Melky...it's just the way it is..it wasn't meant to be fun to play for the Yankees...the anti-O'Neil
fogboy
Oak Ridge , NJ
Total Comments (3)
Who is going to hit in front of and behind ARod now? The Yanks helped their pitching but are remiss if they think their hitting is okay. They were a middle of the road offense with Abreu and Giambi. How do the Yanks think they will be without them. Just our luck, CC will have an era around 3.00 and AJ around 3.60 but both will be close to .500 pitchers bc of no offense.
tlsmlieb
Lake Mary, FL
Total Comments (12)
Hey did you get that line from watching the wheelhouse on SNY the other day lol
sabrescupwin
Niagara Falls, NY
Total Comments (16)
TWO WORDS: MANNY RAMIREZ
JAEGS64
Breinigsville , PA
Total Comments (1)
cant argue w/ his numbers always seems to get there by years end, and really does get some big hits. his anti-energy anti-passion rep is exactly what makes him the best two strike hitter I have ever seen this side of Manny Ramirez. But surprisingly I am OK seeing where the Yanks can go without him and I guess that sums it up.
DGM
Smithtown , NY
Total Comments (5)
It's not simply a refusal "to run into a wall"; he rarely comes within 5 feet or so of the dreaded structure. This costs his team quite a few runs over the course of a season. He calling is that of a DH for any team that values defense.
Ariel777
Total Comments (19)
It'll be fine. If not Tex, then we'll snag Manny. Also Jeter, a healthy Matsui and Posada (i hope), Cano will have a better year, and Nady...I think the offense will be fine, plus Arod had a down year last year (for his standards) and will come back strong, just like '07.
Another scenerio would have the Yanks trading Cano for a CF and sign up Orlando Hudson. Something that I hope doesn't happen.
Either way, the Yanks aren't done with FA's.
Organized Chaos
Total Comments (6330)
I hope the Yankees spend $1 Billion on their payroll and miss the playoffs. They have abused the system and MLB's horrendous commissioner has stood by and allowed it to happen. Sure, once every other year there might be a surprise team or two in the playoffs, but we all know the 6-8 teams that are locks to be in the playoff hunt before the season begins. Parity does not exist and it continues to make the game uninteresting to the majority of baseball cities.
Of course, Bud Selig is oblivious to any team not affiliated with Boston, New York, L.A. or Chicago. Pending a miracle, teams like the Royals, Reds, Pirates, Nationals, Indians, Brewers (this was their first playoff appearance since 82), Rays (first playoff appearance in franchise history), Rangers, Blue Jays and Orioles don't really have a chance. Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner has seen a rediculous increase in player salaries, a players strike, umpires strike, steroid scandals, congressional probes, a tie in an all-star game, a suspended world series game, bickered publickly with Pete Rose, denied Buck O'Neil entrance into the hall of fame and allowed teams to buying championships due to the lack of the salary cap. This commissioner has been an abortion and needs to retire quickly and quietly into the night. Can anyone save this game? Probably, but it will take the right kind of visionary to do it. Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield and Frank White would all get my consideration.
KC guy
Total Comments (283)
Please, baseball, consider some sort of revenue sharing. Have a minimum salary and a maximum salary, much like the NFL. It hasn't exactly hurt that league, huh?
A Fellow American
Land Between The Lakes, KY
Total Comments (634)
we already have revenue sharing and that has been there for several years now
JohnPSI
Total Comments (2)
Scott, I'm sorry your team sucks. But a quick look at wikipedia will enlighten you to the most successful commissioner in baseball history. Besides increasing attendance and introducing revenue sharing, he's the one who brought baseball back from the strike in 1994. With the Wild Card, more teams are in the playoffs, and despite your comments otherwise, more teams are winning the World Series. Also note that Selig inherited a sport that was already riddled with steroids, and that before he was commissioner he prevented a Chicago-based sports group from moving the Brewers out of Milwaukee. He is a promoter of small-market baseball. It sounds to me like you are an embittered fan of a poorly-managed baseball team. Blame the owners. And stop whining.
dwhiz
College Park , MD
Total Comments (2)
in the current economic world the yankees are taking a huge risk trowing all of this money in 2 guys!!! they are so bad that the only way they can good player is by overpaying them big time as CC and Burnet !!!! If these guys don??t met their expectations the yanks will really sorry !
North York Baseball
Total Comments (3)
While everyone is chastising the Yankees for outspending everyone, did all you critics happen to research it? The Yankees are doing it correctly- they are increasing talent, holding onto their prospects, and LOWERING payroll. It might not seem it, but a lot of salary (and a lot of it dead weight) came off the books: Giambi, Abreu, Pavano, Pudge, Mussina (not dead weight), Pettitte. Almost $90M.
NYYandNYG
Albany , NY
Total Comments (1)
Please bear in mind dwhiz that Wikipedia entries are not necessarily written by independant scholars and may in fact be written by the person named or by a staff of professional writers employed by that person. I think anyone reading Seligs entry on even a casual basis should be able to see it's highly flattering to him....
I don't believe scott406 is whining either. As Wikipedia writes the glass is half full on Selig, scott is merely weighing in with an alternate take that the glass is half empty.
It's not whining to note that under Selig the gap between major market teams and small market teams has widened. Nor is it whining to mention that Bud was in the driver's seat and ignored the steroids issue until the point that the Feds virtually had to raise it to get him off his ***. Like his opinion or not, scott406 raised some issues and has a pretty defensible position on most everything he's saying. About the only thing he's blaming Selig for that Selig does not deserve is the Buck O'Neill mess. Selig did not keep Buck out of the HOF, he in fact does not control the HOF or have a vote on who gets in.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're wrong and he's right. Just saying that while Selig has done some stuff and should get credit for it there's plenty going on that is broke and needs fixin' and maybe the job Bud holds would be better served by finding the next one from outside the owner's group. Somebody who truly serves the game might be nice. Somebody whose first paragraph in Wikipedia will saysomething about how he made the game of baseball better and more beloved by it's fans and not how much ownership support he has and how high the revenues skyrocketed on his watch...
TeksMissingPower
Manchester , NH
Total Comments (166)
I would love to have him in the Angels line up.
Big Rack's Rib Shack
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (8265)
I really like Abreu, I think he is the perfect 3,5,6 hitter in the lineup. He is by far not the worst definsive outfielder (I think he is better than Damon). The Yankess should try to bring him back at a lower salary, they need his offense.
Dean
Total Comments (117)
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