Abreu sent to Cubs in Fukudome deal
K-Tribe outfielder stunned by trade
July 29, 2011 10:51 AM
DAVID HALL
Freedom ENC
Abner Abreu didn’t know what to think when Kinston Indians manager Aaron Holbert awoke him from his slumber and called him into his Winston-Salem hotel room Thursday morning.
Was he being promoted? Demoted? Was he in trouble?
It turns out Abreu, a K-Tribe outfielder, was part of a national news story that gives his career new life.
Abreu was traded to the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in a deal that brought the parent Cleveland Indians major league outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.
Abreu, the reigning Carolina League Hitter of the Week, and Triple-A right-hander Carlton Smith were sent to the Cubs along with cash in exchange for Fukudome, who was hitting .273 with three home runs and 13 RBIs through 87 games.
For Abreu, the news came completely out of the blue.
“I was like, ‘What?' " he said from Winston-Salem, where the Indians were scheduled to complete a four-game series Thursday. “It was really surprising because I didn’t expect that.”
A 21-year-old Dominican Republic native, Abreu was one of the Carolina League’s hottest hitters. In 25 games since June 26, he has hit .333 with eight homers, leading the league with a .762 slugging percentage in that span.
Overall, Abreu was hitting .244 with 12 homers and 35 RBIs through 91 games. The 6-foot-3-inch, 187-pound slugger has been compared by Cleveland’s minor league coaches to a young Manny Ramirez for his toolsy potential.
The Indians, though, needed immediate help at the major league level. They entered Thursday trailing the Detroit Tigers by two games in the American League Central.
Fukudome, a 34-year-old native of Japan, is a .262 career hitter in his fourth big league season.
“We feel we’re better today than we were yesterday,” Cleveland general manager Chris Antonetti told the city’s Plain Dealer newspaper. “Kosuke Fukudome has a chance to help us offensively and defensively. He has a history of getting on base and is a good defender.”
Smith, who spent the entire 2008 season with Kinston, was 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA and two saves in 34 relief appearances this season for Triple-A Columbus. The 25-year-old New Jersey native went 12-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 26 starts in his stint with the K-Tribe.
To allow room for Fukudome on its 40-man roster, Cleveland designated outfielder Travis Buck for assignment.
Abreu will leave today from the road and join the Cubs’ Daytona, Fla., affiliate in the high Class A Florida State League — the same level as the Carolina League. He’ll have his belongings mailed to him when he reaches Daytona.
A fifth-year pro who carried a .274 career batting average into this season, Abreu described the move as being somewhat bittersweet.
Holbert’s phone call, which came shortly after 10 a.m., didn’t just wake him up; it changed his life.
“It’s like starting over again,” Abreu said. “I spent five years with this (organization) and now I change everything.”
On the other hand, he added that he’s encouraged by the fact that the Cubs thought highly enough of him to include him in a deal for a major leaguer.
“I’m really excited — really, really excited,” Abreu said.
The deal came three days before Major League Baseball’s July 31 trade deadline.
In other moves Thursday, Kinston received first baseman Jesus Aguilar and left-handed starter Mike Rayl from low Class A Lake County. Right-handed knuckleballer Steven Wright was placed on the inactive list due to a family emergency.
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