At Home Plate - Figgins to stay with LA as a free agent?

At Home Plate

Figgins to stay with LA as a free agent?

Written by Bjoern Hartig (Contact & Archive) on September 10, 2009

We've heard rumors that the Yankees, White Sox and Cubs could have interest in Chone Figgins this offseason, but the free agent-to-be tells Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that other cities don't appeal to him as much as LA does.

"It's a different world than here," Figgins said. "Not to say those places are bad, but here is what my game is all about. The guys they bring in fit the program. You get used to winning and that's a great feeling. It doesn't matter how much money you have there."

However, he doesn't seem inclined to give the Angels a hometown discount, as much as he appears to enjoy playing for them. He will likely have many suitors because of his .400 OBP, versatility and defense (he's a strong defender at third, according to UZR).

Figgins is one of the most exciting players in my opinion, an speedy runner who has learned to get on base and who plays excellent defense at third from what I have seen. I would really like him to stay with the Angels. However, I am pretty certain that Figgins will not be back in LA next season. The Angels simply have to give Brandon Wood an everyday job at some point (and save a lot of money that way) and they already have a surplus of middle infielders in Aybar, Izturis and Kendrick. If Wood is not up to the task, Izturis can always move to third as a temporary solution. With John Lackey and Vlademir Guerrero free agents, too, I strongly doubt the Angels will be able to keep Figgins around.

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