With the kind of offense California has now, manager Marcel Lachemann is predicting big things for Jim Abbott in his return to the Angels.
Making a move to strengthen its rotation for the pennant race, AL West-leading California obtained Abbott from the Chicago White Sox in a six-player trade Thursday.The deal will reunite Abbott with Lachemann, the left-hander's pitching coach during his four seasons with the Angels, as well as with fellow left-handers Chuck Finley and Mark Langston.
In Abbott's first stint with California, starting with his rookie season of 1989, he often didn't get much offensive support. That shouldn't be a problem these days, since the Angels lead the league in runs.
"He was pretty darn good the last time he was with us - he won 18 games (in 1991)," Lachemann said. "I really thought that year he might even have been a Cy Young award winner if we would've had the offense we have on this club. He would've probably won 20 some-odd games."
Abbott was 6-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 17 starts this season for the White Sox, with whom he signed as a free agent in April. He goes from a team struggling in the AL Central to one with an eight-game lead in the AL West.
The trade was announced Thursday night before the Angels' game at Milwaukee. Abbott was in Baltimore, where the White Sox were to start a weekend series with the Orioles.
In exchange for Abbott and left-handed reliever Tim Fortugno, Chicago gets four minor leaguers. The deal rids them of Abbott's $2 million salary and gives them some young prospects.
The White Sox obtained outfielder McKay Christensen, left-hander Andrew Lorraine and right-handers Bill Simas and John Snyder. Christensen was California's first-round selection in the 1994 free agent draft - he's currently in the second year of serving an LDS Church mission in Japan.
Fortugno, 33, was 1-3 with no saves and a 5.59 earned-run average in a team-high 37 appearances for Chicago.
Abbott will make his first start with the Angels on Saturday at Milwaukee.
Born without a right hand, Abbott was selected by California in the June free agent draft in 1988. But he passed up pro ball to play for the U.S. Olympic team and won a gold medal.
He signed in August of that year and went 12-12 as a rookie. His best year with the Angels was 1991, when he was 18-11 with a 2.89 ERA to finish third in Cy Young award balloting.
In 1993 with New York, he tossed a no-hitter against Cleveland.