I guess when your third basemen are batting a combined .214, you are going to try to and go shopping for a new one. That’s what the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim did on Thursday as they acquired Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals.
Callaspo was acquired for pitchers Sean O’Sullivan and Will Smith. Callaspo was batting .275/.308./.410 with eight HR’s in 349 AB’s with the Royals this year. He was also playing a solid third base this year, compiling a 2.9 UZR in 76 games.
I think the best word to describe Callaspo would be “solid.” He’s not going to be a superstar, but he is not going to be a scrub either. He’s a guy the Angels can be comfortable with running him out there every day and getting the job done.
Callaspo had his breakout season last year with the Royals when he hit .300/.356/.457 with 11 HR’s. While Callaspo might have been one of the few solid players the Royals have, this trade allows them to do a couple of things.
First, it gives them pitching back, which the Royals desperately need. O’Sullivan is a 22-year-old righty that has a 2.08 ERA in five games this season. In five minor league seasons, O’Sullivan was 42-26 with a 3.81 ERA and a 6.6 K/9.
I wonder how influenced the Royals were by O’Sullivan’s last start against the New York Yankees? He gave up just two hits and two runs while striking out four in six solid innings of work. That would be the equivalent of a quarterback having a huge game against Notre Dame and all of a sudden his draft stock rises.
Smith is a 21-year-old lefty who has struggled in three levels in the Angels’ organization this season. Smith has compiled a 5.53 ERA in 19 starts in High Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A in 2010.
Second, this allows the Royals to pave the way for an Alex Gordon return to third or a Mike Moustakas promotion in the future. Gordon is playing left field and Moustakas is playing third currently for the Royals’ Triple-A club and I believe that is where they will play when they eventually get the call to the majors.
Outside of getting Callaspo, I wonder if this spells the end of the Brandon Wood era in Anaheim? The Angels gave him the ball this season and he didn’t do anything with it.
Either he is going to go one of two ways. Either he is going to be a classic “Quadruple-A” player his whole career, or a guy who gets traded and could blossom in a different environment.
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