Rivera resigns with the Angels

[ljshorty89]

PS: I'm not the only one who thinks Abreu is way overrated:

ESPN - Most overrated -- from Zito to Suppan - MLB

Boy, do people love arguing about this fellow. Who can blame them?
The folks who only peruse Abreu's numbers don't just wonder what he's doing on this list. They wonder when he's getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. How multitalented is Bobby Abreu? Well, he does happen to be the only active player with a .300 career batting average, a .400 on-base percentage, 200 homers and 250 stolen bases. And his .909 career OPS tops the OPS of Sammy Sosa, Chase Utley, Derrek Lee and many, many, many other famed batsmiths out there.

But there sure are a lot of people who watched him in Philadelphia who think Abreu is the poster boy for an unquantifiable division of the All-Overrated Team -- players who mysteriously seem to be less than the sum of their spectacular numbers.

When people battle me on this guy, I always sum it up this way: As great as Bobby Abreu can be, he lacks that all-important Derek Jeter gene. There is no voice in his head, screaming: "This ball has to be caught." Or: "That runner on third has to be driven in." In Philadelphia, where he was the centerpiece of the franchise, that one flaw showed up way too glaringly. Now, in New York, as the Yankees flounder, they're getting aggravated over the same stuff. Funny how that happens.

[love_that_reefer]

P.S. I am also not the only one who thinks he's worth more than $7 million and Ibanez.
ESPN - Jerry Crasnick: Job market for Bobby Abreu

Still, when you stack one productive season upon another -- and yet another -- a different portrayal emerges. In any number of categories, Abreu stacks up against players who have been All-Star fixtures, made speeches in Cooperstown and been hailed among the game's all-time greats:

* This year Abreu joined Barry Bonds and Rickey Henderson as the only players to amass 200 homers and 300 stolen bases while maintaining a .400 on-base percentage.

* Abreu is one of five players with 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored in each of the past two seasons. The others: Chase Utley, Adrian Gonzalez, David Wright and Alex Rodriguez.

* His run of six straight 100-RBI seasons is third-longest among active players behind Rodriguez and Pujols.

* In 2008, Abreu amassed 35 or more doubles for the 10th straight year, tying the record held by Colorado's Todd Helton. Hall of Famer Tris Speaker is next on the list with nine straight 35-double seasons, and he did his best work during the Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge administrations.

* Abreu has the longest-running streak of 20-steal seasons in the game, with 10. Jimmy Rollins, Ichiro Suzuki and Juan Pierre are next in line with eight.

* Abreu is currently working on a streak of 11 straight seasons with 150 or more games played. The only big leaguers with longer streaks are Willie Mays, Billy Williams, Pete Rose and Cal Ripken Jr.

So in the areas of productivity, durability, consistency of performance and popularity in the clubhouse, Abreu has it covered. The only thing left on his agenda is finding a job.

And Abreu seems to hit in the postseason too.

[ljshorty89]

Said a National League official: "He's going to end up somewhere and be fine. But it's not going to be for anywhere near the money he's been making or he thinks he should make."
An American League scout expressed a common sentiment when he referred to Abreu as a "piece of the puzzle" rather than a player who's going to anchor a lineup.

He wants 15 million a year. This scout agrees with me he won't get, nor does he deserve anywhere CLOSE to that number. He's a role player, he's not a start, and there's no way in hell I'd pay 12 million a year for his pansy ass approach to outfield fences.

[love_that_reefer]

Yes, he is a starter if you cared to read the post prior with the Crasnick article. He plays 150 games a year, 10 straight years with 20 steals, six straight with 100 RBI and had 100 runs and 100 RBI in each of the past two seasons. What in all of that spells "role player"? I have said that he wouldn't get the money he wants but I am not the damn fool who thinks he is only worth $7 million based on a Juan Rivera signing. $12 million is a good price for his production. If Ibanez can get $10 million, there is no reason Abreu can't/shouldn't get $12 million.

[ljshorty89]

First off, that was a typo, it should have said he is a role player and not a star. Sorry about that.

However, I disagree that Abreu earns more than Ibanez. Abreu has been very good, in a hitters park with great lineup protection. Ibanez has had MORE RBI THAN ANY PLAYER IN THE MLB(including Pujols, Vlad, A-rod, etc) in the last 3 years. Ibanez has done so, arguably just as good as Abreu, in a pitchers park with a shitty lineup(excluding Ichiro and a good not great Adrian Beltre).

Ibanez may not be a great defensive player, but Abreu is MUCH worse than you realize. Honestly, you have to understand that Yankees fans closed their eyes whenever a ball went towards right field. Ibanez also is a much better clubhouse presence, and Ibanez has never had his work ethic challenged. Abreu has been accused by multiple newspapers of being a player who is content with his stats, and has lower levels of work ethic.

Ibanez is in my mind a much better player. I wanted Ibanez to come to the Mets. Abreu scares the daylights out of me. I can't stand the idea of watching him stumble around Citi Field.....I die inside just thinking about it.

[love_that_reefer]

Yes I am very aware that Ibanez has more RBI than anyone the past three years just as I am well aware that Abreu has six straight 100 RBI seasons. You keep saying Abreu benefits from lineups and park factors but if you neutralize his stats, they are even better! Abreu has been the model of production and durability.

I realize Abreu has lost a step or two in the OF but he is still far better than Ibanez. Ibanez is not as quick as Abreu and that shows up on the basepaths as well. Yankee fans may have shut their eyes when a ball was hit to RF but the same can be said about Ibanez in LF. Abreu's clubhouse presence has never been challenged.

You can think what you want but Abreu should get more money than Ibanez's $10 million. Abreu is younger, faster and a better fielder than Ibanez. If you are so scared of someone looking like a fool in the OF, then why on Earth would you want Ibanez?

[ljshorty89]

Abreu's clubhouse presence HAS been challenged. The guy is, according to most NY area newspapers very egocentric. Ibanez puts forth effort in LF, which is more than I can say about Abreu. He refuses to make a play on anything near the wall, he is hideous coming in on line drives(you may remember how he turned a Big Papi single into a triple last september), and his arm is steadily getting worse.

The problem is not Abreu's ability to get to fly balls, it's his ability to catch them, and most of the time he is too much of a pansy to make the effort necessary. He rarely dives on balls hit in front of him. He NEVER goes up for a ball by the wall, hell, he's scared of the ****ing wall.

Ibanez is more hideable in LF than Abreu is in RF. Abreu doesn't have enough power to be a middle of the lineup guy, and while he has decent speed, he's still not the greatest baserunner.

Ibanez is, from everything I've read and heard, a much more reliable hitter, is more dependable in the clubhouse, and will put forth the effort needed to win fans in NY. Abreu wasn't booed...but he was not a fan favorite in the Bronx.

Neither one was a perfect option, and I didn't want to give Ibanez a 3 year deal, but the fact is Ibanez seems to be getting better as he ages, and Abreu is getting worse. Seems clear to me that I'd rather take a guy getting better than a guy getting worse.

[love_that_reefer]

But you think Abreu is only worth $7 million/year!!! That's ridiculous!! Regardless of what you have heard, Abreu is still better than Ibanez with the glove. Abreu's arm is getting worse but that is still better than Ibanez's noodle. Comparing his arm now to what it used to be isn't fair because the guy had a cannon. He still has an above average arm! Abreu had a whopping two errors last year!! I don't know who your *****y, whiney Yankees friends are but they blew his defense out of proportion. We have all seen him play. Yankees games are on all the time.

Abreu is a freaking .300/.400/.500 guy! Of course he is a middle of the lineup bat! He has 100 runs and 100 RBI the past two years to prove that fact! He might not be the "greatest" baserunner but he is still a damn good one and a hell of a lot better than Ibanez!

I don't see how Ibanez is a "more reliable" hitter. Look at Abreu's production and games played!! He's always put up the numbers.

Where is Abreu getting worse? In the HR department? Everything else is just fine! I'd rather give my money to the younger, better, faster and more complete player. Both players have been consistent but Abreu has been more so and the speed is what separates the players. But to think he can't and shouldn't get as much as Raul Ibanez is just silly! Thinking he is just a $7 million/yr player is just retarded!