Let the free agency fun begin: LA Angels re-sign Bobby Abreu; Rangers' Marlon Byrd files

Outfielder Marlon Byrd filed for free agency on Thursday, the first day of the filing period. It's a paperwork formality that has nothing to do with Byrd's desires. He's made it clear since the middle of last season, that he'd like to make the Rangers his long-term home. The Rangers have exclusive negotiating rights with Byrd for the next two weeks, but according to this story, it's unlikely the clubs come to any agreement during the period. GM Jon Daniels said in the story that Byrd will explore the market. From Daniels: "To his credit, he's put himself in a position to see what's out there, and he's going to explore that. We're going to explore our own alternatives, including the guys we already have. In a perfect world, we'd like to have Marlon back. It's just not going to happen in the exclusive window period, if it's going to happen at all." Meanwhile, the LA Angels took an aggressive approach on the first day. The A...