Well it didn't take long for a big trade this offseason. The Angels wasted no time acquiring the 2 time gold glove short stop Andrelton Simmons. This was a bigger trade than people may realize. Simmons is 26 years old and will be entering his 5th season as a big leaguer. Simmons is hands down the best defensive short stop in the game today. He also has been very durable in his four years as a big leaguer, but hasn't been very productive at the plate. He did show a small glimpse of power back in 2013 when he hit 17 home runs. You may not think that 17 home runs is a lot but with his defense it will be plenty good enough. The biggest part of this deal is the contract that Simmons is under. For the next 5 years he is under contract and will be making under 2 million dollars a year. For a man of his talent it was a trade to good to pass up for the Angels. It didn't come without a cost. The Angels had to give up their number one pitching prospect in Sean Newcomb who is rated the 19th overall prospect. They also gave up another pitching prospect in Chris Ellis and the veteran short stop Erick Aybar. The Braves certainly got what they wanted out of the deal. I think it was a good trade for both sides, but if I were to pick a winner it would be the Braves. They need to rebuild there pitching rotation, and these two pitchers might be the start.
The other notable trade yesterday was between the Padres and Mariners. The Padres traded veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit to the Mariners for two low level prospects. This trade was clearly the Padres trying to get rid of a contract they didn't want. The return was low, because neither of the prospects traded will become a factor in the MLB. The Mariners were just trying to find a solution to the bullpen. Benoit has had his moments and has been a solid reliever since 2010. This would be a win for the Seattle Mariners in my opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment