LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – When the Braves traded Andrelton Simmons to the Angels for two top pitching prospects and veteran shortstop Erick Aybar, some Braves fans didn’t want to hear their general manager suggest they might win more games with Aybar than with Simmons.
Didn’t Braves GM John Coppolella realize he traded away not just the best defensive shortstop in baseball, but arguably the best defensive player, period?
Three months later, the shock of the trade has worn off. Most Braves fans realize the team got a pair of high-level pitching prospects, Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis, in the deal. But many aren’t sure what to expect from Aybar, who’ll be the opening-day shortstop.
They might take comfort in knowing what those familiar with Aybar, 32, say about him and the impression he’s made in the early days of spring training.
“He’s such a good player,” Braves infielder Kelly Johnson said of his fellow 10-year veteran, whom he faced plenty when Johnson was in the American League from 2011 through 2014. “I’m so excited to play with him, because I’ve heard so many good things about him as a teammate. Every time I’ve played against him – honestly, all those Angels guys that are about my age, who came up together, they all were taught how to play baseball the right way.”
Aybar is a former All-Star (2014) and former Gold Glove winner under contract for one more season, making $8.5 million in 2015. Although Simmons had a higher OPS (.660) than Aybar (.639) in 2015, Aybar had a .700-.617 OPS advantage in 2014 and has been a better overall hitter in his career, with a .276 average, .315 OBP and .378 slugging percentage in 10 seasons to Simmons’ .256/.304/.362 in four seasons.
He is, by all accounts, a good teammate – dependable, hard worker, a positive influence, a good guy.
“Professional,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Friday, when asked what he’s seen and heard about Aybar so far. “You know he’s come from a good organization, the Angels. The way he takes ground balls, the way he goes about his business hitting, straight professional guy who I think is going to really help us offensively.”
Aybar spent his entire career in the Angels organization, with spring training in Arizona. But he’s quickly adapted to new teammates and spring training in Florida, and a team that most pundits are picking to be one of the bottom five in the majors, but whose players aren’t buying the doom-and-gloom.
“So far everything’s good,” Aybar said as he was fitted for a belt for his new uniform for photo day Friday. He said that everyone seemed to like each other in the clubhouse. “Everybody’s together.”
And: “A lot of young guys, a lot of talent. So we’ll be OK.”
Another plus about the Braves: They play and train a lot closer to his home in the Dominican Republic.
“I’m enjoying it,” Aybar said, smiling. “For my family, it’s only, like, two hours, 2 ½ hours. My family, everybody’s here (no for spring training). Go to Arizona, it’s six hours — a long flight.”
Johnson said there were tendencies that players drafted or signed and developed by the Angels had in common.
“All of them came up in the minors leagues and were taught how to run the bases,” Johnson said. “They did a drill where runners would be on every base and they’d work on dirt-ball reads. But they didn’t just do it for, like, five minutes. They did it for an hour. So all those guys are so fundamentally sound in how they were taught.”
“Those guys know how to play the game the right way. That’s how I always think about that group of guys from the Angels, the Howie Kendricks, the Aybars, all those guys. So I think he’s exactly what you want to have on your team.”
Immediately after trading Simmons, Coppolella said, “Aybar is a career .276 hitter; Simmons has never hit .276 in a full season. Aybar’s a switch-hitter, 18 months back an All-Star, he can hit (first or second in the order) for you. I mean, Aybar’s a really good player. I think we traded defense for offense in this trade. The fact that we got two huge-upside arms is great, but as far as for 2016, I don’t think that’s a big step back for this Braves team.”
