One of the best bargains in baseball
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Aug 19, 2009 
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This player is hitting .310 with a .404 on-base percentage. He has only 11 home runs but has 80 RBI, 74 runs scored and 26 stolen bases for the team with the second-best record in baseball. His teammates and his manager love him.
He’s also getting paid a base salary of only $5 million.
How to prove everybody wrong, Bobby Abreu.
(Best part of his contract? He gets a $100,000 bonus if he wins the Gold Glove. That would be like promising me $100,000 if I win the New York Marathon.)
The Yankees did the absolute right thing not offering Bobby arbitration. It would have cost them at least $17 million. But he has had one heck of a season.
Repost:
Erica,
This is just a suggestion and I have no idea if it’s a good one.
But GTLU has really taken off and this must be a ridiculous amount of work for you.
It might be easier if you do this via a Google Docs account so that people can post their entries directly into a group spread sheet.
That way you can have them post here on the board so people can see it directly but then also have them post on the shared Google Docs spread sheet so that you don’t have to reduplicate effort with regards to data management. Each person playing GTLU could essentially fill in their name as a row with the batting order # being a column (or vice versa).
Just something to think of. You seem to be getting more and more entries.
Would much rather have Abreu on the team that SWISHer
Bobby may be having a great season, but I still think it was worth getting him out of the Yankees clubhouse. Though he’s a professional hitter, he doesn’t seem to bring the fire and passion for the game that some of the new guys this year do. And we’ve all seen this year (and with the championship teams of the 90s) how much team character actually means for a ball club.
It’s amazing how consistent he is year after year. And if he wins the gold glove, I’ll kick in $100.
Its amazing and his power numbers would probably be better in the new Yankee Stadium but he is trying to play for one more big pay day and then he’ll stink it up
Bring him back next yr as a DH to replace Matsui
One guy is making 5 million (Swisher).
The other guy (Abreu) would have been making 17 million if he was with the Yankees this year.
Meaning, no Mark Teixeira.
I’d rather have Tex and Swish than Abreu.
No way he gets the same numbers with $17 mill in his pocket..he would have slept through the season with the Yanks like he did in the past…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…I don’t miss him.
He’s also extremely durable. He has played 150+ games every season since becoming a regular in 1998.
Now that the Yankees signed almost all their draft picks, how would you rate their farm system?
How much deeper would our line-up be with an OBP machine like Bobby still on the team. I guess 17 mil was tad much however.
Abreu is soft that is one of the best moves the yankees made was getting rid of him.
i guessed it was Abreu while reading the first line.
if one estimates price of a player vs current market value, Abreu may be the best FA value in the history of major league baseball.
not only 5 million. But a contract of only 1 year/5 million. Minimal investment indeed.
that said, i bet the Angels are wishing they had locked him up at 3 years.
Jason: No offense, but what in the world do you know about Bobby’s clubhouse presence and passion? He’s not a good outfielder but he played hard, he played hurt and he was universally respected in that clubhouse. Because a player cracks jokes or throws pies or has a funny nickname doesn’t him any more passionate than the next guy. Team character has nothing to it. The Yankees have great pitching and an offense that will score 900 runs. Whatever issues the Yankees had last season had nothing to do with Bobby’s character.
“(Best part of his contract? He gets a $100,000 bonus if he wins the Gold Glove. That would be like promising me $100,000 if I win the New York Marathon.)”
Not quite, Pete. Abreu actually won a Gold Glove in 2005 somehow.
I just don’t understand why the Cubs went after Milton Bradley when Abreu was still available.
Abreu on track for the Hall of Fame ?
before you say, no. Check the stats
No issues with Bobby while he was here. Obviously this lineup is much more consistent without him and the new guys in. It’s not his fault, but he wasn’t a #3 hitter, a tweener. Glad he is doing well. Tex is a big difference in that 3 hole as Bobby wasn’t a prototypical run producer even though he consistently gets 100. He is a nice fit for the Angels type of play. The Yankees just really needed another big bat along with Arod.
AJ’s pitching is why we are 30 games over .500, not because he throws pies at people…
Abreu was not the reason for our bad record last year.
“I just don’t understand why the Cubs went after Milton Bradley when Abreu was still available”
even better, why Tampa elected to sign Pat Burrell (instead of Abreu)
at least Milton Bradley was coming off a huge season.
Having said all that, people underestimated Bobby A while he was here, but what could you complain about as a player? His defense is no worse than what we currently have in right, but his arm would be a huge upgrade. Consistent at the plate, saw a lot of pitches, walks, speed, could hit with RISP. The only thing that was missing was the big blast. That half season in Philly was truly tremendous.
Pete, it really is funny. People think just because someone doesn’t throw pies at people or have cool haircuts that they somehow are not good clubhouse guys.
I always thought Bobby seemed like a great guy. I’m surprised to see such negative comments about him. I’m happy for him that he’s having such a great season. (Especially because he is on my fantasy team!)
Abreu was an obvious sign for the Mets, but at the end of the day with the injuries it wouldn’t have mattered. Lineup could have been Reyes, Abreu, Beltran, Delgado and Wright. That is pretty substantial in the NL no?
“Consistent at the plate, saw a lot of pitches, walks, speed, could hit with RISP”
no argument. In short, Abreu was the team’s most clutch/dangerous hitter, when he was in NYY
I am home from work now- Please keep submitting your line ups for “Guess the Line Up”. The submission window closes at 6:30
I am getting caught up on line ups now. CB, I will look into that after 6:30.
Angels starting lineup has only one guy in it who is hitting below .300 (Mike Napoli at .297).
I liked Bobby, but we have had a huge upgrade in overall defense swapping Giambi and Abreu for Tes and Swisher. With Jeter’s transformation into a great glove and Cano back to playing superior defense, the Yanks’ defense is so much better than it was last year.
I don’t miss Bobby on the Yanks but I wish him well.
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teix 1B
A-Rod DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Hairston 3B
Cabrera CF
The only people that ever underestimated Bobby Abreu are the same idiots that are overrating him now (see vinny-b calling him the most dangerous hitter). Same thing happened to him in Philly.
Swisher is the most underrated player on the team.
We would not be where we are today in the standings if he wasn’t here. Not only on the field, but in the clubhouse as well.
The MVP of the team is Swisher.
I too am shocked at the lack of Bobby A love. Sure, he was quiet part of a city/team full of big personalities, but he consistently produced. You knew that he would play RF every day, hit #3, bat .300, 20HR, 100RBI, and 25 SB. Fine, $17M would’ve been too much. But he’s a really solid, consistent player who never caused any problems. I’d have him on my team any day.
Ralph, I hope you are being sarcastic.
Bobby Abreu was great when he was here and it didn’t cost the Yanks much.
That aside, having Swisher and Teix this season has been amazing.
I’mhappy for Bobby. He’s a great guy and he did a really good job while he was with the Yanx. I’m happy for him that he’s playing well for a good team. Doesn’t mean I want him back, but still. LOL
Game post up
Some interesting notes and spot reports by Nardi Contreras on Yankee minor league pitching….both health and future use for this year. It’s in the first suject.
http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/
Abreu is a bum he got traded from phillies and then they took off right after they traded him and last year they won a world series. Same thing is going to happen to the yankees.
I am happy Swisher is in right he is one of the team’s best hitters.
Swisher is not a huge upgrade over Abreu on defense. The one plus with Swisher is he is not afraid of the wall. Other than that, Abreu is a better fielder with a stronger and more accurate throwing arm.
“The only people that ever underestimated Bobby Abreu are the same idiots that are overrating him now (see vinny-b calling him the most dangerous hitter)”
yup. And i will say it 4 additional times
most dangerous hitter
most dangerous hitter
most dangerous hitter
most dangerous hitter
there you go. Now you know
JFK
August 19th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Abreu is a bum he got traded from phillies and then they took off right after they traded him and last year they won a world series. Same thing is going to happen to the yankees.
I am happy Swisher is in right he is one of the team’s best hitters.
————————————————————
after reading this post, I wouldn’t call you an idiot. I’ll let others do that.
Reno:
by the way. Bobby was my favorite player on NYY, from the time we traded for him in July of 2006.
moron.
The biggest reason Bobby Abreu has a higher batting average and more RBIs (so far this season) compared to last year is because he is trying to play for a bigger contract.
Plain and simple.
He didn’t produce this year’s numbers last year and he has consistently hit less HRs over the years. His defense alwao was very suspect in RF and his phobia for hitting the wall to snag fly balls was ridiculous.
If some of you are actually trying to say that Abreu would be a better option batting third in the Yankees line-up compared to Texeira, you all really need to quit sniffing the glue.
“Swisher is not a huge upgrade over Abreu on defense. The one plus with Swisher is he is not afraid of the wall. Other than that, Abreu is a better fielder with a stronger and more accurate throwing arm.”
Incorrect.
FWIW, Both Abreu and Swisher have a OPS+ of 121…
I don’t think fans are giving Bobby A. the appreciation he deserved while a Yankee. He was a better outfielder than Swish and to compare him to Tex is disengenous at best.
Bobby not only hit 100 RBS, .300 average, but always worked the pitcher while at bat. He was a consistent #3. He also could steal bases and has a good total this year.
That said – If he was still on the team Swisher might not have been picked up. Originally, correct me if I am wrong, but Swisher was intended to be back up for first base. Nady would have not been needed either. So Nady’s and Swisher’s salaries would have still been available to use for Tex.
In NO way am I downgrading Tex. He is one of the best players on the team both bat and glove. But comparing him to Bobby is not well thought out. Different batters, different positions.
If Abreu had stayed on the team he would have been moved out of 3 in order to put the better batter, Tex, in that position. Bobby is a consistent hitter and would have helped anchor the team in the early months of this season.
I liked Bobby and am glad he is doing well on his new team. Wasn’t he signed the season after he hit all those many, towering Hr’S in the in the ASG Home Rund Derby?
Last Year, Abreu made $16 million with the Yankees. This year, Nady and Swisher make $6.5 million and $5.4 million, respectively. Nady and Swisher combined for 2009 is $11.9 million. To suggest that the $11.9 million could have been used towards Teixeira’s salary is disingenuous because his signing was not originally planned in the beginning (hence the Swisher trade from the White Sox) and Abreu did not want a pay cut with the Yankees. Abreu felt he was worth more than $13 million per year and when you consider that strictly for the amount of money, Swisher in RF has turned out better for the Yankees because Teixeira is a Yankee and batting 3rd in the lineup, it made sense to let Abreu go. My whole point in comparing Abreu and Teixeira revolved around them batting 3rd. If you disagree, go back and re-read my post.
Signing Tex without trading off one of Nady ,Swisher or Matsui was the end for Abreu in pinstripes.
One track mind Cashman wanted to get the team younger although Abreu has really showed no signs of slowing down.The comments about Abreu losing his mojo at a HR hitting contest is pure nonsense .He’s always on average been a 20 HR a year player.
Swisher is an inconsistent player at best.He probably would have sat more than he has if not for Nady being injured.
No reason Abreu could have batted 3rd with Tex following seeing that our current #4 hitter is walking around with his face up his proverbial shall I say ?