The first big shot of the 2015 MLB offseason has been fired, and the Los Angeles Angels pulled the trigger.
The bullet, to stretch the analogy, is Andrelton Simmons, the slickest-fielding shortstop in the game and now a member of the Halos after Los Angeles and the Atlanta Braves swung a landscape-shifting five-player trade Thursday.
The Braves will get shortstop Erick Aybar and a pair of minor leaguers—left-hander Sean Newcomb and right-hander Chris Ellis, per the Angels’ official Twitter feed:
Los Angeles will also send $2.5 million to Atlanta, per ESPN.com, and get back minor league catcher Jose Briceno.
That’s a nice haul for the Braves, who net a capable veteran middle infielder and former All-Star in Aybar, plus two of the Angels’ top four prospects in Newcomb and Ellis, as rated by Baseball America. Newcomb, in particular, is an intriguing get, as MLB.com ranks him the No. 19 prospect in the game.
Granted, Simmons is under contract through 2020. More than anything, though, this move signals unequivocally that the Angels are in win-now mode.
Even before the trade, the Halos’ farm system was among the thinnest in either league. Shipping out Newcomb leaves the shelves even barer in L.A., but the return is significant.
Yes, Simmons missed out on a third straight Gold Glove when the San Francisco Giants‘ Brandon Crawford took home the hardware Wednesday. However, Simmons was the best defensive shortstop by both ultimate zone rating (UZR) and defensive runs saved (DRS), per FanGraphs.
And he’s always passed the eyeball test with flying colors.
Simmons brings less to the table offensively. But, when paired with his leather, his .265/.321/.338 2015 slash line still makes him one of the more valuable middle infielders in baseball. And he’s just two years removed from a 17-home run season, so there is at least potential for power.
This move alone won’t fix all the Angels’ problems. There are many reasons they finished a disappointing third place in the American League West and missed the playoffs, including an offense that scored the second-fewest runs in the Junior Circuit after the All-Star break.
Aside from reigning and perhaps soon-to-be two-time AL MVP Mike Trout, the lineup is littered with question marks. But by moving boldly to grab Simmons, Los Angeles signaled it will be a player this winter.
CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman laid out the club’s current, uneasy state of affairs and its offseason road map:
They have money and plenty of holes, thanks to free agency and option rejections, not to mention a history of the occasional contract whopper, often spurred by their anxious owner Arte Moreno. The Angels are pretty well set with their pitching, but they are practically barren at left field, third base and catcher, and could possibly consider reinforcements at second base, as well.
To that end, Heyman reports, the Angels have been linked to first baseman Chris Davis, who led the majors with 47 home runs last season and could ease Albert Pujols’ transition to full-time designated hitter. And Heyman tossed out other names, including outfielders Alex Gordon and Jason Heyward, who would continue the defensive trend set by Simmons. Heyman also floated second baseman Daniel Murphy as a potential fit.
Basically, expect the Angels to pop up early and often in rumors and to be in on essentially every top-tier free-agent hitter.
They likely won’t have the pieces to swing another megadeal after raiding the cupboard to get Simmons. Clearly, though, Moreno and company are prepared to do what it takes to wrestle division supremacy away from the upstart Lone Star State twosome of the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
For his part, Simmons sounded an optimistic note Thursday and reiterated the win-now theme, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
Of course, trying to win now and actually doing so aren’t one and the same. If the Angels lose out on the big boppers such as Davis and enter next season with a still-shaky offense, it’s possible this deal will wind up a net loss. Superlative as Simmons’ glove is, Los Angeles already had the seventh-best defense in baseball, per FanGraphs.
The Angels need thump, plain and simple.
But if the Halos do ink a basher or two, this will be the moment they signaled their intent: We’re in all the way.
The Angels just fired the first big shot of the 2015 offseason. Now, they have to make sure it isn’t their last.
All statistics current as of Nov. 12 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.
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