NEWSLETTER
The offseason figures to be a-buzz about many things, one of which will apparently be an OMG Chone Figgins! watch.
But for now, the impending free agent third baseman/utility player doesn’t sound all that crazy about leaving Los Angeles.
“It’s always good to be wanted,” said Figgins, who will become a free agent after the season. “But when you find a home, you want to stay here. I love what this organization is all about — winning, playing hard. I love being here.”
The Angels hold exclusive negotiating rights to Figgins for 15 days after the World Series, and if they want to retain the player who entered Wednesday with a .304 average and a league-leading 104 runs and 89 walks, they would be wise to strike early.
If big-market teams such as the Yankees, Cubs and White Sox get involved, it could drive Figgins’ price beyond $10 million a year.
“I’m not worried about that now,” Figgins said. “All that stuff is going to work out as long as I go out and keep playing.”
Figgins, 31, who is making $5.775 million this season, does not seem inclined to give the Angels a hometown discount. “Who came up with that term?” he said. “I wouldn’t say anything about that.”
But he doesn’t seem eager to leave Anaheim for Chicago or New York.
“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.” latimes.com.
In the end, when you’re 32/33, and you see the end of your career coming up following that next contract, money tends to talk much more loudly than location.
