Angels sign Abreu for...what??

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed Bobby Abreu to a one-year deal, worth $5 million plus incentives.

And the Mets couldn't match that?

• Tim Redding -- $2.25 million
• Alex Cora -- $2 million
• Fernando Tatis -- $1.7 million
• Marlon Anderson -- $1.15 million
• Jeremy Reed -- $925,000
• Cory Sullivan -- $600,000
• Angel Pagan -- $575,000

Those names right there make up over $9 million of this year's payroll for the Mets. I could even add more names to the list, but it might just make you more upset.

The Mets obviously had money to spend this off-season, and to be content with a fingers-crossed, hope he can do what he did last year pick off the scrap heap, and a young singles hitter playing out of position manning left field is just silly.

$5 million for a competent outfielder (possibly a little afraid of the wall) who hit .296/.371/.471 last season. In 156 games, he also hit 20 home runs and drove in 100 RBIs. He's knocked in over 100 RBI in seven of his 11 full seasons, including the last five years in a row.

And yet he slipped through the Mets fingers because they weren't willing to pay him a little more than double what Tim Redding will earn pitching mop-up duty this season. (Redding's career ERA is a few points shy of five.)

Omar Minaya, caught looking.