Bobby Abreu thinks he can pitch

I was walking around morning workouts when I encountered Bobby Abreu throwing the ball with Torii Hunter in the outfield. Torii Hunter has nine gold gloves, by the way, so this exchange was a lot of fun.

Abreu: Don’t think about it. Just get the ball … [throws] … and release.

Hunter: Uh-huh.

Abreu: Perfect strike. Just get the ball … [throws] and release. It’s nothin’.

Hunter: [said nothing, laughed a little, and then I imagined he rolled his eyes]

At that point, Abreu got the ball, went into a half-hearted windup as if he were pitching, and threw a strike to Hunter. He turned around at the coaches and players behind him with a smug look on his face, thinking he looked like Verlander or something.

Third Base Coach Dino Ebel: “65 miles an hour”

Abreu: MY ASS!

Did I mention that the Angels seem like they’re having fun?

Free agent outfielder Peter Bourjos is heading back to the Angels on a minor league deal, per a report from Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. The agreement includes an invitation to spring training, but has not yet been officially confirmed by the team.

Bourjos, 31, played out a one-year gig with the Braves in 2018 and slashed .205/.239/.364 with four extra-base hits and a .603 OPS through a career-low 47 plate appearances. He showed more promise during a short-lived stint with the Giants’ Triple-A squad in the second half of the season, but elected free agency in early November and had yet to catch on with another major league club. His deal with the Angels represents a homecoming of sorts, as he played some of the best years of his career in Anaheim from 2010 to 2013 before getting traded to the Cardinals in a multiplayer swap for David Freese and Fernando Salas in 2014.

The veteran outfielder is long past his prime, but could still bring some value to the team as outfield depth behind Justin Upton, Mike Trout, and Kole Calhoun. Per Adams, he’s expected to compete for a spot as the Angels’ fourth outfielder, though he also has limited experience at DH as well.