*Photo from Marquee Sports Network*
Another career has reached its end. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons has announced his retirement after over a decade in the majors, according to a post on social media from ISE Baseball, his agency.
Simmons spent 2023 as a free agent after a 2022 season that saw him play just 34 games for the Chicago Cubs. He mustered just 13 hits and 7 walks in 85 plate appearances over those games. He played for the Netherlands during the 2023 World Baseball Classic and also represented Curacao in the Caribbean Series games over the winter.
The 2013 season was the breakout year for Simmons, who hit a career high 17 home runs en route to a 14th place finish in NL MVP voting and a gold glove award. That was the first of 4 gold glove award wins for Simmons, who also won the award in 2014, 2017, and 2018.
After the 2013 season, the Braves and Simmons agreed to a 7 year, $58 million contract extension, setting a record at the time for players with under two years of big league service time. At the end of 2015, two years after signing the extension, he was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels.
In 2017, Simmons captured his 3rd gold glove at shortstop when he produced a major league leading 20 outs above average while also hitting 14 home runs and 38 doubles with a .331 on base percentage in 158 games. He earned down ballot MVP votes in both 2017 and 2018.
Simmons has played for the Braves, Angels, Cubs, and Minnesota Twins over 11 seasons in the majors, debuting in 2012. He has posted a .263/.312/.366 slash line with a 87 OPS+, hitting 201 doubles and 70 home runs with 72 stolen bases and 444 RBI's in 1,225 games. He has 4 hits and two walks in 19 plate appearances over 5 playoff games.
The calling card for Simmons in his career was routinely his defense, as he never wowed anyone with his bat. Over his 11 years in the majors, he accumulated 201 defensive runs saved at shortstop, the highest in the majors at any position since the stat was created in 2003. He had 41 in 2017, the highest amount in a single season in the majors. Only Simmons and Adrian Beltre have 200 defensive runs saved in their career.
Since he didn't play in the majors in 2023, Simmons is first eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2028. His defensive will certainly give him some consideration, as he had 4 seasons of over 20 defensive runs saved at shortstop.
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