Well, the Los Angeles Angels are shaking up their roster. The Angels announced after Friday’s loss that they have released outfielder/designated hitter Bobby Abreu, and are replacing him with uber-prospect Mike Trout.

Since 1901, only 50 batters have been on base more times than Abreu:

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Source tells the Daily News that along with Jesus Montero, the Yankees will add Brandon Laird, Chris Dickerson & Scott Proctor to roster.

News like this must make Shawn Chacon wish he didn’t throw out his spikes and glove…

I feel like it’s August 23, 1989, all over again.  Let the sunshine in…

The New York Yankees made a move to beef up their bullpen on Friday, claiming left-hander Aaron Laffey off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

The move helps address a balance issue, with Laffey joining Boone Logan as the only two lefties in the bullpen.

“He’s a guy that can give you some multiple innings, but he’s another left-hander for us,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s why we went and got him.”

Laffey went 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 42 2-3 innings for the Mariners this season. Girardi said Laffey can be used as a situational guy or a long reliever, but that Logan will remain the primary lefty late in games.

To make room for Laffey, the Yankees placed right-hander Freddy Garcia (finger) on the disabled list and designated catcher Gustavo Molina for assignment.

Garcia threw a bullpen session Sunday and said he felt good. But Girardi said the move is a precaution because Garcia has not pitched in two weeks.

“I don’t think Freddy really wanted to go on (the DL),” Girardi said. “I think Freddy wanted to pitch Sunday but we just thought it was the safer route.

Don’t get it? This guy is so-so, average, against lefties and right-handed batters have their way with him. So, how does he help?

The Yankees may still need pitching — especially as far as a left-handed reliever is concerned — but they won’t feel utterly compelled to go find another bat before the trading deadline.

Not when they expect to have Alex Rodriguez back by the second week of August following the possible activation of Eric Chavez as soon as today.

Rodriguez, who underwent right knee surgery just over two weeks, is right on schedule for a return that originally was pegged at 4-6 weeks. Rodriguez is showing all signs of making the sooner rather than later return.

“I’ve had some communication on what he does. He sends me usually what he does every day. He’s feeling pretty good. He’s moving along,” manager Joe Girardi said last night. “I can’t tell you when we’ll see him. I don’t have that date. I think our doctors are discussing . . . when we might see him but he’s progressing fine. He’s on schedule.”

General manager Brian Cashman told ESPN Sunday night that he was eying “maybe the second week of August . . . That’s just us being conservative. I think we can push it and get him back sooner, but why? Our offense is strong.”

That scenario would put Rodriguez, who had surgery July 11 in Miami, where he is doing his rehab, back at 5 weeks, right in the middle of the original timeframe.

“He’s been in the pool. I think he’s done some jogging in the pool. He’s done some elliptical work, those types of things. So far everything has been on the up and up,” Girardi said, claiming the five-week span is realistic “because everything went good, the way we expected.”

But as the GM said, there is no need to hasten the return, especially with Chavez expected back. A terrific defensive third baseman, Chavez also represents a “potent left-handed bat” for Girardi, one that would enable him to use Rodriguez as a designated hitter for as long as necessary.

Eric and Alex are one heckuva upgrade over Brandon Laird and Chris Dickerson, that’s for sure.

Well, if you have to spend a month on the D.L., it’s better for your pocket to do it on the big league one rather than the bush league one.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has elected to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a slight meniscus tear in his right knee, a team spokesman confirmed Sunday.

He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Rodriguez met with Dr. Lee Kaplan in Miami on Sunday, and Kaplan recommended that Rodriguez go under the knife. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Kaplan at the University of Miami on Monday.

An MRI on Friday first revealed the tear.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said on Sunday that, if Rodriguez opted for surgery, undergoing the procedure now would be ideal given the Yankees will have four days off during the All-Star break.

“There’s no doubt we’re going to miss him, but we need to find a way. As I’ve said several times already this year, some people are going to have to step up,” Girardi said. “Up to this point, this team has. We certainly look forward to getting a healthy Alex back into our lineup, because we know what he adds to this team.”

If he hadn’t opted for surgery, Rodriguez could have tried to play through it and have the procedure in the offseason.

But Girardi expressed concern that Rodriguez would be forced to play eight consecutive games on turf after the All-Star break if he decided to forgo surgery. The Yankees open the second half with a four-game series in Toronto and then head to Tampa Bay for a four-game set.

Rodriguez originally suffered the injury on June 19 in Chicago. He thought about scoring on a passed ball, but ultimately decided against it. And in the process of turning back toward third base, Rodriguez tweaked his knee.

“It’s hard to get into missing 20, 30, 40 games when you don’t know, but at the same time you don’t want to limp toward the finish line,” Rodriguez said after not playing in the Yankees’ 5-4 win over the Rays on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. “The most important games are played at the end.”

So, this will be the 4th year in a row, since he opted out and then resigned, where A-Rod has failed to play in 140 games in a season. And, this is all at age 35 or under. What’s Alex going to be good for in his late 30′s, maybe a 100 games a year?

Man, I would have told Hughes he’s going to the pen and had to earn his way back into the rotation.  And, for sure, I would have named Sabathia to the All-Star quad.  Teixeira?  O.K., maybe I understand that one…a little…low batting average and the fact that some first sacker gets screwed every year because of that “every team must be represented” rule.

By the way, Tyler Clippard made the All-Stars.  Is that a slap for Brian Cashman?  It should be…

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Yankees reacquired right-hander Sergio Mitre from the Brewers after Wednesday night’s game for “cash considerations.”

Mitre registered a 5.03 ERA in 105 2/3 innings with the Yankees in 2009-2010, operating as both a long reliever and spot starter. He was traded to the Brewers before the start of the 2011 season for backup outfielder Chris Dickerson.

Mitre has enjoyed a good amount of success this year in the National League, registering a 3.27 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 33 innings for Milwaukee, but the Brewers designated him for assignment earlier this week to clear a roster spot for prospect Mat Gamel.

Mitre is expected to pitch in long relief for the Yanks and will try to build on the momentum that he’s built for the past three months on the senior circuit. The Yankees designated Buddy Carlyle for assignment in order to make room.

Just goes to show: Once you go Mitre, you never go another way.