Back in January the Angels were said to be interested in long-term contract extensions with impending free agent middle infielders Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar.
They got a deal done with Kendrick, signing the second baseman for $33.5 million over four years, but talks with Aybar have stalled. Until now perhaps, as Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles reports that Aybar’s agent is in Arizona to meet “face-to-face” with general manager Jerry Dipoto this week.
Aybar avoided arbitration with a one-year, $5.075 million contract and can hit the open market next offseason as a 29-year-old free agent at a position where the pickings are usually very slim, so getting him to sign long term may be tough at this point.
He also hit .279 with a .743 OPS last season, posting new career-highs in homers (10), doubles (33), runs (71), RBIs (59), and steals (30).
