Thursday night, it appeared a deal was coming together that would send Bobby Abreu to the Indians in a trade. Later that night, the deal began to sound less certain. Now, late Friday morning, the deal has fallen apart, CBSSports.com insider Jon Heyman has learned. It's worth noting, Heyman says the deal fell apart "as constituted." So this doesn't mean Abreu won't eventually be traded to the Indians, though it's certainly possible the talks will be tabled for good, too.
With Kendrys Morales coming around in terms of health and the Angels having a full outfield -- not to mention 2011 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up Mark Trumbo not having an everyday job -- there really isn't a chance for Abreu to get much playing time if he stays put. So a trade would make sense for the Angels, in terms of clearing roster space and ridding themselves of a possible disgruntled player.
The Indians, meanwhile, have depth issues in the outfield due to injuries. And everyday designated hitter Travis Hafner isn't exactly a model of health (he hasn't played in more than 118 games in a season since 2007).
Just a hunch, but the $9 million Abreu is set to make in 2012 could easily be the problem in any trade -- meaning how much the Angels will pick up in shipping him out.
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