Orange County Register

Ok, I am back, and rather than dwell on why I was away, let’s get right into baseball, which I missed writing about the past two months.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman offered his best and worst free-agent signings list on Sunday.

To no one’s surprise, Raul Ibanez (above) is the best, despite his signing by Philadelphia being universally panned at the time.

Heyman must’ve been wearing his Captain Obvious hat while compiling that list (Milton Bradley worst? Really?), but somehow the Angels’  Bobby Abreu missed landing in either category — astounding for an ex-Yankee in a piece written by an ex-Yankees beat writer.

At one point this winter, Heyman ranked the now-Angels outfielder No. 10 among free-agent targets, right below what he called “Mega Stars” and “Best of the Rest.”

Now, he can’t get any love … or hate? Adam Dunn, Felipe Lopez and David Eckstein, all doing well for clubs going nowhere, make the tail end of the best list.

Abreu (.296/.393/.424/.817) has 42 RBIs in 66 games through Saturday. He is 17 for 19 in stolen-base attempts (at age 35).  Oh yeah, he only has four home runs.  Big deal — I will gladly take those .393 OBP and .817 OPS numbers in lieu of homers, anytime. Especially in the No. 2 spot in the order.

I strongly endorsed Dunn as an Angels signing target in the offseason, but I knew because of his defensive liabilities it would never happen. His numbers for the Washington Nationals are .256/.395/.508/.903, with 18 homers and 51 RBIs in 73 games.

A lot to like there, especially if he was the DH in Vladimir Guerrero’s place … but who was calling for that move, before Vlad started so slowly?

Back in February, colleague Sam Miller ranked Abreu’s signing No. 3 among baseball’s best moves, which is more like it. I will give Sam a pass on No. 1 and No. 2 though.

Dunn earns $8 million this year in the first of a two-year deal. Abreu, a better fit for the Angels becaue of the club’s makeup, has a one-year deal for $5 million, for which GM Tony Reagins should be applauded — often — for letting the market settle.

The Dodgers’  Orlando Hudson (left) is only No. 4 on Heyman’s best list, behind Ibanez, Trevor Hoffman and Francisco Rodriguez.

What those two closers have done surprises me not at all, but Hudson — and the re-signed Casey Blake — have lended a veteran presence to a still-youthful lineup that never cracked while Manny Ramirez was suspended. 

I would make Hudson No. 2 on my list, and include Abreu and Blake among my best, as well.

And I would wait until all the evidence is in before I put the Ramirez re-signing among the worst — as great as the Dodgers have performed, it’s as silly as going on and on about an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar getting one rebound in a game the Showtime Lakers not only won by double figures, they outrebounded the opponents as well.

But Heyman’s midseason list certainly provides fodder for a discussion on the topic. What do you think?

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