Atlanta Braves Trade Andrelton Simmons to the Angels
By John Buhler
The Atlanta Braves trade SS Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for SS Erick Aybar and two pitching prospects.
Well, at least it was on Easter this time. The Atlanta Braves have decided to part ways with their all-world defensive shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Atlanta struck up a deal first reported by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, sending Andrelton Simmons to Orange County, California for SS Erick Aybar and two pitching prospects, Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis.
Source: Andrelton Simmons has been traded to the Angels. #Braves
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) November 12, 2015
David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gave us the scoop on who the Braves were receiving in return.
#Braves get Aybar and pitching prosects Chris Ellis, 23, and LH Sean Newcomb, 22.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 12, 2015
It doesn’t matter that Erick Aybar is a former All-Star in the American League, this hurts almost as bad as the Craig Kimbrel deal. I knew the Atlanta Braves front office was going to make deals this offseason, but man do you really want fans to support this team? You just traded away a franchise cornerstone and the best defensive shortstop since Omar Vizquel!!!
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What this trade signifies is that anybody and everybody on this Atlanta Braves club is on the block, even Freddie Freeman. Trading Freeman sounded like an absolute impossibility 24 hours ago, but here we are.
Who is going to routinely throw out Travis d’Arnaud at first base? Erick Aybar is a solid player, but Simmons has the most accurate arm from a shortstop I have ever seen. He has the precision of Greg Maddux and the velocity of Roger Clemens and he’s a shortstop!
2016 is off to a fantastic start. I may have not liked Simmons’ approach at the plate, but his defensive prowess was off the charts. Part of me believed that he would make his first All-Star team with the Atlanta Braves this season, but sadly that will not happen.
Next: Andrelton Simmons on the Move?
Just watch him blossom in Los Angeles for the Angels in a similar way that Ozzie Smith did in St. Louis and Vizquel did in Cleveland. Ironically, those were not their first big league ball clubs either. Smith played in San Diego and Vizquel struggled offensively in Seattle.
It’s hard to see the silver lining when it’s already dark outside. Unless Sean Newcomb or Chris Ellis are championship level arms, I can’t rationalize this trade to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. We’ll miss you, Simba =(.