ANGELS : Abbott Agrees to $1.85 Million

Proving that he is as adept at negotiating as he is at pitching, left-hander Jim Abbott solved the financial differences that might have taken him and the Angels to arbitration.

It was Abbott’s idea simply to split the difference between the $2.1-million salary arbitration figure he had filed and the Angels’ figure of $1.6 million. That resulted in an agreement Thursday morning on a one-year, $1.85-million contract.

“He may be a candidate for the U.N. when he’s through pitching,� said Dan O’Brien, the Angels’ senior vice president for baseball operations.

Abbott, 24, earned $357,500 last season, when he had a career-best 18-11 record and ranked among the American League leaders with a 2.89 earned-run average.

Abbott, a fan favorite at Anaheim Stadium, welcomes the prospect of playing for the Angels for years to come.

“If that works out, it would be that much greater,� he said. “I do hope it works out. . . . If the Angels want me around on a long-term basis, that would be terrific.�