Erick Aybar Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Angels

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have announced a four-year contract extension with shortstop Erick Aybar.  The 28-year-old’s deal, which begins in 2013, is worth a total of $35 million.

Aybar’s new deal will pay him $8.5 million per year over the four years and includes a $1 million signing bonus.  There are no option years included in the deal, so Aybar is under team control through the 2016 season.

Aybar signed with the Angels in 2002 as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic.  After spending several seasons in the minors as a top prospect, Aybar made his major league debut with the Angels in 2006.

Aybar didn’t become the Angels regular shortstop until the 2008 season and didn’t reach the 500 at-bat plateau until ’09.  That season and 2011 have been Aybar’s best offensively, as he maintained OPS’s of .776 and .743.

Last year Aybar tallied 51 extra base hits, scored 71 runs, stole 30 bases and won a Gold Glove.  Over his seven years at the major league level Aybar has maintained a line of .274/.318/.377.

For more on the Angels be sure to check out Halo Hangout.

You can follow Call to the Pen on Twitter at @FSCalltothePen or like us here on Facebook.