Today’s Dodger of the Day is infielder Tony Abreu. Abreu is one of the select players who played for both the Dodgers and the Giants.

Etanislao Toni Abreu was born November 13, 1984, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Dodger scout Pablo Peguero signed him as an undrafted free agent in October 2002 and Abreu made his pro debut the next year. He played 45 games for the GCL Dodgers in 2003, hitting .294 with a .756 OPS. He received a promotion to the A Vero Beach Dodgers at the end of the season, going hitless in 10 at-bats. His plate discipline was a significant problem, drawing 12 walks and 26 strikeouts.

Abreu only played 11 games in Vero Beach in 2004. He was spent most of the season with the Single-A Columbus Catfish, where his hitting marginally improved. He hit .301, eight home runs and 54 RBI. His plate discipline got even worse and he drew eight walks and struck 59 times.

In 2005, he finally showed worth in Vero Beach. Abreu hit .32, good enough to win the Florida State League batting title. He capped off his 2005 with time in AA with the Jacksonville Suns and the Arizona Fall League with the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Abreu handled second base in Jacksonville for all of 2006 and made his first appearance in the Dominican Winter League. He played there yearly until 2016.

Baseball America showed Abreu quite a bit of love as a prospect; he was consistently a top-15 prospect in the Dodgers organization according to BA and they even ranked him the top defensive second baseman in the Southern League...in a year when he led the league in errors.

2007 saw Abreu finally make his major-league debut May 22,, versus the Milwaukee Brewers. He went 0-3. His first major league hit was on the 25th, a double off Carlos Marmol of the Chicago Cubs. Abreu had a scorching hot early June; in a four-game series against the Pirates, he went 7-for-16 with four doubles and three RBI. He would continue to show these flashes of brilliance throughout his career, but he never proved to be anything more than a league-average bat with lousy defense.

A groin injury at the end of 2007 wiped out Abreu’s 2008. He spent most of 2009 with the Albuquerque Isotopes, where he hit a career-high 11 homers, and the Chattanooga Lookouts. Abreu returned to major league play August 7 against Atlanta, but this stint was short-lived and he only went 2-8.

In October 2009, the Dodgers traded Abreu to the Diamondbacks to complete a deal with pitcher Jon Garland. 2010 was a make-or-break year for Abreu. It was an absolute disaster. He could barely get onto the field, much less get his bat on the ball. The majority of his 81 appearances in 2010 were as a pinch-hitter; even when he got the starting role, he rarely impressed.

He actually a pretty good start to the season. Abreu batted consistently above .300, had regular-ish playing time and even had what could have been his breakout performance May 6 in Houston; the starting shortstop that day, he went 4-5 went a run and RBI. His first games against his former team were nothing to write home about: 1-7 with an RBI.

You can pinpoint the date that broke him: June 16. The Diamondbacks visited the Red Sox and Abreu was the starting shortstop. He went 0-4. The scorecard isn’t too damning; 4-3, 6-3, F9, FC. But something about this game in particular, he never recovered from. His batting average prior to this game was .310. After this, it plummets, closing at an abysmal .233. His K rate balloons to 23% and he walks in just 2% of at-bats.

He spends 2011 with PCL’s Reno Aces, staying with the team just long enough to be in the top five in almost every offensive category and lead in precisely none of them. The Diamondbacks cut him at the end of 2011.

The Royals signed him as a free agent December 1, 2011, and assign him to AAA Omaha. The Royals call him up in August and he makes his first appearance for them August 6. He slashes .257/.284/.257 in 74 appearances before being released.

The Giants took a (waiver) flyer on him in 2013. After a short stint in Fresno, he’s called up in June and given regular playing time. He doesn’t impress. A 0.4 WAR, league-average BABIP wouldn’t cut it. He played most of 2014 in Fresno but makes his final three major league appearances in July. He went 0-4.

2015 took him to Mexico and the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz. After taking 2016 off, he played with the Bridgeport Blue Fish and New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League before calling it quits.