Angels finalize deal with veteran Ibanez

The Angels' one-year contract with Raul Ibanez became official Friday, when the 41-year-old outfielder/designated hitter passed his physical.

Ibanez will be paid a base salary of $2.75 million, plus another $2.25 million in incentives. The two sides agreed to terms on Dec. 18, and Ibanez will be made available to the media via a Monday morning conference call.

The Angels targeted Ibanez shortly after sending Mark Trumbo to Arizona as part of a three-team trade that brought in young left-handed starters Tyler Skaggs (from the D-backs) and Hector Santiago (from the White Sox). Ibanez, who tied Ted Williams for the most home runs by a player in his 40s last season with 29, is expected to spend the majority of his time at designated hitter while occasionally filling in as a left fielder.

Ibanez is a career .349/.407/.522 hitter at Angel Stadium.

"Raul's veteran presence and left-handed power bring great balance to our lineup," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. "In addition, we feel fortunate to add a player with a winning pedigree who possesses the character, work ethic and leadership that will provide an impact both on the field and off."

A 36th-round Draft pick by the Mariners in 1992, Ibanez started off as a catcher and eventually -- albeit relatively late -- turned himself into a productive outfielder and run producer.

Through an 18-year career that has seen him suit up for the Mariners, Royals, Phillies and Yankees, Ibanez has batted .276/.338/.471 with 300 homers. And since 2002, he's averaged 23 homers with an OPS-plus of 116.

Last year, Ibanez batted .242/.306/.487 with 29 homers for the Mariners and actually hit better against lefties (.802 OPS) than righties (.790). He batted only .203/.295/.345 in the second half, but that could've been a byproduct of the 832 1/3 innings he spent in the outfield, nearly 200 more than he played in 2012 with the Yankees.

With the Angels, the vast majority of his plate appearances will come as a DH.