Freese wanted to return to Angels in 2016

PITTSBURGH — Pirates corner infielder David Freese was at the movies on Dec. 10, midway through a screening of “Creed,” when he received a text message from a friend telling him the Angels had acquired Yunel Escobar to be their new third baseman.

Until then, Freese maintained hope that he would return to Southern California. His agent, Nez Balelo, and the Angels’ new general manager, Billy Eppler, never got down to terms, but they maintained contact throughout the offseason.

Then Escobar became available at the Winter Meetings, and suddenly Freese was sent to look elsewhere.

“I wanted to be an Angel,” Freese said Sunday, prior to the series finale between the Angels and Pirates at PNC Park. “I can’t hide that. From Day 1, I wanted to come back here. I love those guys. We kind of had unfinished business. It just didn’t happen.”

Freese didn’t join a team until March 11, basically the midway point of Spring Training.

He looked around and could not find a fit. The White Sox were looking for a third baseman, but preferred to trade for one and wound up acquiring two-time All-Star Todd Frazier. The …

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