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The Atlanta Braves found a taker for struggling shortstop Erick Aybar.

The Detroit Tigers announced Tuesday they traded for the 32-year-old, with Mike Aviles and Kade Scivicque going to Atlanta.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien thought the deal was an example of Braves general manager John Coppolella‘s determination:

Atlanta acquired Aybar in the offseason in the Andrelton Simmons trade. The move seemed somewhat odd since the Braves were and still are in a long-term rebuild. They’ve parted ways with almost every one of their best veteran assets.

In all likelihood, Coppolella either expected the team would be better than it is now or thought he’d be able to flip Aybar at the deadline for a profit.

Instead, Atlanta has the worst record in the league (44-74), and Aybar is in the midst of the worst season of his MLB career. He’s batting .242 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a .293 on-base percentage. According to FanGraphs, his minus-1.2 WAR is fifth-worst among position players with at least 250 plate appearances.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to an MLB executive who said on July 24 the Braves were “aggressively shopping” Aybar along with a few other players. Showing a desire to offload Aybar didn’t mean doing so would be easy for Atlanta, though.

The market for his services wasn’t going to be fevered, especially for a player who is potentially a rental for less than half of a season. The Tigers need to expect an immediate return on their investment. Given Aybar‘s struggles, that’s far from a certainty.

Still, there’s reason to hope Aybar could turn things around. He was an All-Star in 2014, and while expecting him to reach those heights again is unrealistic, some level of improvement could be anticipated.

Here’s a look at his offensive and defensive numbers from the past five years, per FanGraphs:

It’s not as if the free-agent market is flush with talent at shortstop. In that regard, trading for Aybar is a better way for the Tigers to bolster their middle infield depth for the stretch run. The team also placed starting shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Detroit didn’t pay a high price in order to get Aybar, so there isn’t a whole lot of risk in the deal. Anything positive he delivers will be a pleasant surprise. At the very least, he’s an upgrade over Aviles in the infield.

This trade won’t shake up the MLB landscape, but it could help the Tigers as they look to secure a playoff spot in 2016.

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As the Atlanta Braves continue their long-term rebuild, Erick Aybar is among a few veterans the team may move before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

Continue for updates.

Braves Making Aybar Available

Sunday, July 24

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to an MLB executive who said Sunday the Braves are “aggressively shopping” Aybar, along with Jeff Francoeur and their left-handed relievers.

Moving Aybar won’t be an easy task. He’s mired in the worst offensive season of his MLB career. He’s batting .208 with one home run and 17 RBI in 288 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs, his .262 slugging percentage is the second-worst in the league among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances.

Aybar’s contract situation makes trading him a little bit harder for Atlanta as well. He’s set to be a free agent at the end of the year, and few teams will bite for a half-season rental whose numbers are as bad as Aybar’s are.

In March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s David O’Brien reported that Braves general manager John Coppolella “made it clear” the team wasn’t going to settle for a small return in the event it dealt Aybar.

Atlanta likely banked on the 32-year-old rebounding following the 2015 season and then cashing in at the deadline. Instead, his decline has become even more pronounced, severely diminishing his trade value.

Offloading Aybar is clearly in the Braves’ best long-term interests, but Coppolella will either have to get creative or accept little back in order to get any deal done.

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Shortstop Erick Aybar was taken to a local doctor to have a chicken bone removed from his throat on Thursday. However, he has been cleared to return to the lineup.

Continue for updates.

Aybar Active vs. Phillies

Friday, May 20

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Aybar will play against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

Snitker Comments on Aybar’s Status

Thursday, May 19

Speaking to reporters, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, interim manager Brian Snitker said Aybar “looked OK when he left, but he wasn’t speaking real well. Let’s just hope everything works out alright.”

Aybar Off to Shaky Start 

The 32-year-old Aybar is hitting .174/.207/.205 in 38 games. According to MLB.com, he has just four extra-base hits in 132 at-bats in the final year of his contract.

The Braves haven’t had many things go right for them in 2016. Their 10-30 record is tied for the worst in Major League Baseball, and they dismissed manager Fredi Gonzalez after his five-plus seasons with the team.

Aybar isn’t helping matters with his performance at the plate so far this season, but his presence in the lineup every day still could benefit the team. If he starts to get hot, the Braves can use him as trade bait this summer to add another prospect to a much-improved farm system.

Atlanta’s front office is looking toward the future, but the 25 players in the dugout are focused on doing the best they can in 2016.

Aybar is a veteran who surely wants a chance to play for a World Series if he can stay on the field.

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In this feature article at LA Angels Insider.com, columnist Brent Hubbard examines the career path of incumbent Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.

After posting a stellar campaign in 2009, Aybar took a step backward in his development as a big league player. The Angels are in need of a serious offensive upgrade on the diamond wherever they can get one. No job should be considered secure outside of Kendry Morales at first base and Torii Hunter in right field heading into the 2011 season.

The Angels still need a leadoff hitter and there are players around the league who could fit the bill in the No. 1 spot and at short.

As the Angels attempt to recover from a sub-par 2010, many areas will have to be improved, particularly offense. One would probably identify outfield defense, leadoff hitter, third base and front of the ‘pen as issues areas that need to be improved.

Most offseason-related stories have focused on Tampa Bay free agent Carl Crawford as the ideal fit in Anaheim. And indeed he would be. Yet Crawford has a preference for more than just In-N-Out…he has a preference not to be the leadoff hitter.

And while this writer is fully in favor of obtaining a player such as Crawford, I think he is better suited to be the No. 2 or No. 3 guy in the lineup, leaving a hole at the top of the order.

Erick Aybar was supposed to be the solution. Coming off a great 2009, he was expected to transition seamlessly to the top of the order, replacing the departed Chone Figgins.

It didn’t work out that way.

This article continues at LA Angels Insider.com

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The 2010 season has been a roller-coaster ride for Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar.

After starting slowly in the month of April (.253 AVG., 1 HR, 4 RBI), Aybar never fully hit his stride.

Suffering through another tough month in May, Aybar appeared to pick it up in June and July, raising his average to .278 and displaying more of the peskiness expected of him at the top of the lineup.

But the dog days of August hit, and Aybar once again plummeted. Since Aug. 1, Aybar has hit .187 with just five RBI and nine runs scored during that span.

On Sept. 15, Aybar aggravated a groin injury, apparently originally suffered two weeks earlier, diving for a ground ball in Cleveland. Aybar has not played since, and it was finally announced by the Angels that he will miss the rest of the season with an apparent sports hernia.

Aybar traveled to Texas yesterday to meet with Dr. John Preskitt, the same doctor who performed successful hernia surgery on Angels outfielder Torii Hunter last November. If surgery is recommended for Aybar, he will heal in plenty of time for spring training next season.

Aybar finished his disappointing season almost exactly where he finished the month, with a .254 average. Aybar had just five HR and 27 RBI, with 68 runs scored and 20 stolen bases.

One of the main reasons that Chone Figgins was allowed to walk as a free agent this past offseason was that the Angels were confident in Aybar’s ability to assume the leadoff position and provide a similar type of offense and set up the middle of the Angels’ order.

Aybar never seemed confident in the role and was actually demoted to the bottom part of the order in early August.

Assuming that Aybar returns to complete health by spring training, he will have a lot to prove to Angels’ management in terms of showing once again the gritty style of play that led them to assume he could handle the leadoff role.

For continuing Angels news updates, follow Doug on Twitter at Sports_A_Holic.

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The Angels depth at the shortstop position has being severely tested ever since Casey McGehee took out Erick Aybar at second base, trying to break up a double play.

Aybar has missed the last six games since McGehee tried to “sweep the leg,” and his return doesn’t appear imminent. The good news is that Erick Aybar’s knee injury is not serious enough to require surgery. The bad news is, he received a cortisone shot on June 22 and has been shut down.

Mike Scioscia addresses the situation yesterday saying “We’re encouraged that long range, it won’t be an issue, but short range, we might shut him down and give him an extra week to get ready.”

Translation, Aybar will be headed to the disabled list. 

Aybar spoke with LA Angels Insider Jason Brennan and said he was feeling better, but he also understands it’s not in his or the team’s best interest for him to return if he is not 100 percent.

Article continued at LA Angels Insider.com

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