Cleveland Indians Reportedly Close to Deal for Angels' Bobby Abreu

In an effort to add depth to their offense, the Cleveland Indians are reportedly close to dealing for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Bobby Abreu.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported on Thursday:

"

#indians, #angels on verge of abreu trade

—Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 30, 2012"

Abreu, a 16-year veteran and two-time All-Star, hit .253 with eight home runs, 60 RBI, 54 runs and 21 stolen bases for the Angels last season. The 38 year old is far from the player he used to be, but he brings a veteran presence and an experienced bat to an Indians team that rose from the bottom of the cellar last season.

Abreu, who was projected to come off the bench for the Angels this season, could do the same for the Indians, or he could take the place of left fielder Shelley Duncan. For a team that's relatively young, it never hurts to add a seasoned player like Abreu, who has played for the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees during his career.

The Indians went 80-82 last season after failing to win at least 70 games the previous two seasons. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2007, when they lost to the Boston Red Sox in seven games, and they haven't been to the World Series since 1997.

They have a solid one-two punch with starters Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson this season and have some young, talented players in Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis.

With Abreu, the Indians appear to be positioning themselves for a playoff push this season, especially now that there are two wild-card spots for each league.

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