Andrelton Simmons, the defensive wizard who played with the Atlanta Braves from 2012 until 2015, has retired from baseball. He had been drafted by the Mumbai Cobras of Baseball United in October and had participated in its inaugural All-Star game.
Former #Angels SS Andrelton Simmons has announced his retirement
— Jared Tims (@Jared_Tims) December 26, 2023
The Braves drafted Simmons in the second round in 2010, and the SS made his debut on May 30, 2012 after supplanting Tyler Pastornicky for the role.
Simmons only played 49 games for the Braves in 2012, thanks to a broken hand, but his play in the field and is surprising contributions with the bat solidified his role as the starter going forward.
Although his 2013 wasn't on par with his rookie season with the bat, his phenomenal defense earned him his first Gold Glove and the Platinum Glove Award.
At the beginning of 2014, the defensive wizard signed a seven-year, $58 million extension. Although it seemed that Simmons would cement himself at the SS position for years to come for the Braves, the team opted to deal him for Erick Aybar, Chris Ellis, Sean Newcomb and cash after the 2015 season.
Simmons finished his Braves career with a .256/.304/.362 slash (85 OPS+), an insane 98 defensive runs saved, and two Gold Glove Awards.
Simmons had slightly more success with the bat during his five-season tenure with the Angels, slashing .281/.328/.394 (96 OPS+), and was still exceptional with the glove, picking up two more Gold Gloves.
Simba had two consecutive seasons with above-average hitting in 2017 and 2018 and finished eighth and 15th in the MVP voting in those respective seasons. Despite this success, he was never chosen for an All-Star Game for the Braves or the Angels.
Simmons spent the final two years of his career with the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago Cubs. His production with the bat plummeted, as he hit 48% worse than the league average. He still put up an exceptional 19 OAA during his final two seasons.
The SS went unsigned after being released in August of 2022 by the Cubs, and while he was selected by the Mumbai Cobras eighth overall in Baseball United's inaugural draft, it appears he won't end up playing for the team.
We congratulate Andrelton on an exceptional career! Here's one more highlight featuring current Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud before you go: