Matt Andriese Traded to the Los Angeles Angels
This afternoon, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels agreed to a trade. The trade sent relief pitcher, Matt Andriese to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for minor league pitcher, Jeremy Beasley.
Although the trade wasn’t a significant one in the grand scheme of things, it is still fascinating nonetheless. The Arizona Diamondbacks saved $1.4 million dollars in the deal which was Andriese salary for the coming season. That saved money might be utilized for another potential move especially on the heels of today’s report by Arizona Sports.
From the Los Angeles Angels perspective, the trade is interesting as well. The Angels have been focused on bolstering their starting rotation, but the bullpen could use help too. Andriese helps to address that need and gives the Angels another late-inning option. Andriese struggled with the Diamondbacks, but this could be a worthwhile gamble.
Matt Andriese
Last season, Matt Andriese posted a 4.71 ERA over 70.2 innings of work with the Diamondbacks. Over that span, Andriese had a Fielding Independent Percentage of 3.72, 10.06 K/9 rate, and a 3.44 BB/9 value. From those metrics, the earned run average is high, but the underlying metrics go in Andriese favor.
While the ERA is high, the Los Angeles Angels were likely attracted to the strikeout rate. As a bullpen unit, the Angels finished 19th last season in K/9 with a 9.03 valuation. Therefore, the organization could make it a goal to look for some high strikeout relievers this offseason and Andriese helps.
In addition, the Angels are a very defensive sound team overall especially on the left side of the infield. That could contribute greatly to improved results for Andriese this coming season. Between Andrelton Simmons at shortstop and Anthony Rendon at third base, the defense has improved over the last year. Combined, Simmons and Rendon recorded 32 defensive runs saved last season.
Furthermore, another attractive selling point of Matt Andriese was likely his spin rates. According to Baseball Savant, Andriese finished in the upper-third percentile for fastball spin in 2019. In addition, Andriese completed last season in the 75th percentile range for curveball spin. When you look at both of those metrics, they matter a lot in the game today.
Jeremy Beasley
When it comes to the Arizona Diamondbacks return for Matt Andriese, the results are a mixed bag. Between Double and Triple-A last season, Jeremy Beasley posted a 4.49 ERA over 122.1 innings of work. Over that span, Beasley posted 115 strikeouts and a 1.44 WHIP.
Jeremy Beasley was originally drafted by the Angels in the 30th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. At the time, the Angels believed that Beasley had a lot of untapped potential, especially with his secondary stuff. The organization believed that they could help Beasley with his mechanics. But ultimately it felt like a change of scenery might be best for both parties.
A big reason why the Arizona Diamondbacks likely targeted Jeremy Beasley is because of their pitching depth. General Manager Mike Hazen likes to have multiple options to turn to at all levels of the organization. As a result, the organization has been committed to building up that depth.
As it stands right now, Beasley will likely be a part of the starting rotation for the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate. Depending on how he performs and the state of the big league rotation, Beasley could be called up to the majors as early as this coming season.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the trade of Matt Andriese from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Jeremy Beasley isn’t a blockbuster deal. However, both teams made a trade that addressed needs in the pitching department. Now, only time will tell how it works out for both teams.
