Grading Angels GM Perry Minasian this offseason (Part 1)

Jose Iglesias will be a great fit at shortstop for the Angels this season.

The first order of business for Minasian this season was to replace free-agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Less than two weeks into his new role as general manager, Minasian found his replacement by acquiring Jose Iglesias.

On Dec 2, Minasian traded minor league pitchers Jean Pinto and Garrett Stallings to the Orioles for Iglesias. The shortstop is entering his tenth season in the big leagues and is coming off a fantastic year at the plate.

Jose Iglesias Last Three Seasons:

• 2018: (125 games) .269 BA 5 HR 48 RBI .699 OPS
• 2019: (146 games) .288 BA 11 HR 59 RBI .724 OPS
• 2020: (39 games) .373 BA 3 HR 24 RBI .956 OPS

Iglesias, 30, will make $3.5 million in the final year of his contract for the 2021 season. It’s likely the shortstop is just a plug-in for this year, but the Halos are still getting a solid and underrated player.

The Angels are the third team in three seasons for Iglesias. He played for Baltimore last season and Cincinnatti the year before. Prior to that, Iglesias spent five seasons with the Tigers and earned an All-Star bid in 2015.

Defensively, Iglesias is not as good at the shortstop position as Simmons. It’s not a huge downgrade, and Iglesias’ offense and a team-friendly contract will put the Halos in a better spot this season.

Stallings, one of the prospects traded, was ranked as the Angels’ 21st ranked prospect and projected as an end of the rotation started. Pinto was an unranked pitcher and considered more of a developmental project.

Given the immediate impact of Iglesias, this is a trade that seems to favor Minasian and the Angels, for now.