Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons was rumored to be headed to a club in the National League West as recently as Wednesday, but Simmons has instead been shipped to the Los Angeles Angels.
The Braves announced the deal and provided the details, stating they received shortstop Erick Aybar, pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis and roughly $3 million in return. The Angels are also set to receive catching prospect Jose Briceno from the Braves.
At the time of the trade, Newcomb and Ellis ranked first and second, respectively, among Los Angeles’ prospects, per MLB.com.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post explained how the move benefits the rebuilding Braves:
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney provided his immediate take on the blockbuster trade:
MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez provided an inside look at how the move stands to impact the Angels:
Over the past four seasons, the 26-year-old Simmons established himself as one of MLB’s most polished defensive shortstops.
After Simmons recorded 5.4 defensive wins above replacement during the 2013 season, per Baseball-Reference.com, he posted 3.9 during the 2014 campaign and another 3.5 as the Braves floundered in 2015.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Simmons has saved a league-best 113 runs over the past four seasons—21 more than Jason Heyward (92).
Braves first base coach Terry Pendleton told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien:
There’s another level to his arm. I would compare it to watching Deion Sanders play football. You know when everybody else is running down the field and they’re in slow motion and he’s in fast forward when they show him run. That’s what it looks like at times (with Simmons). So yeah, he’s got another level to that throwing arm of his.
And while Simmons has been simply breathtaking in the field, he’s struggled with consistency at the plate. That said, his batting average ticked up to a respectable .265 in 2015 after it dipped to a career-worst .244 in 2014.
Sherman noted the Braves weren’t necessarily pleased with Simmons’ progression as a hitter:
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal offered another look at how the trade materialized from Atlanta’s perspective:
Signed to a seven-year, $58 million deal, Simmons still represents a fine value, considering he still has so much room to grow at 26 years old.
According to Spotrac, he is due $6.1 million next season before his annual payments escalate to $8.1 million in 2017, $11.1 million in 2018, $13.1 million in 2019 and $15.1 million in 2020.
Although his bat has been shaky at times, Simmons is well worth the gamble for the Angels. Los Angeles is seeking to return to the postseason and make a statement following a down year, and it can do just that by plugging Simmons into a lineup that already features Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, among others.
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