The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim had a busy January scheduled, as they had eight players eligible for salary arbitration. They agreed to terms with one of them today, signing infielder Alberto Callaspo to a one-year deal. According to Augusto Cardenas of Diario Panorama in Venezuela, the contract is worth $2 million.
Callaspo was originally signed by the Angels as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2001, and he spent five years in their minor league system before getting traded to Arizona in 2006 for pitcher Jason Bulger. The Angels reacquired Callaspo about a week before the trade deadline in 2010, sending Sean O'Sullivan and Will Smith to Kansas City. Callaspo hit just .249/.291/.315 in 58 games as an Angel, playing third base.
Callaspo has played all over the infield in his short career, mostly playing second and third base. This was his first year of arbitration eligibility. Callaspo made $460,000 in 2010. The Angels now have roughly $92.4 million committed to 12 players in 2011.
The Angels still have seven potential arbitration cases, for Jered Weaver, Mike Napoli, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Kendry Morales, and Reggie Willits. The filing period for the players runs through January 14, and teams and players exchange salary figures on January 18. In most cases, deals are reached by the latter date.
For more news related to Callaspo and the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.