The champagne has not even dried in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse at Progressive Field in Cleveland, and we already have the first trade of the offseason.
According to multiple media reports, the Los Angeles Angels have acquired veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.
The Tigers will receive a right-handed pitcher named Victor Alcantara from the Angels.
— anthony fenech (@anthonyfenech) November 3, 2016
Alcantara is currently ranked as the eighth-best prospect in the Angels system by MLB.com.
It’s most definitely an interesting move for both teams. Maybin, 29, has a $9 million option for the 2017 season. That’s an option the Tigers were not going to pick up. Now in Los Angeles, he can expect to collect that nice amount of cash next year.
The former Tigers’ first-round pick hit .315 with a .383 on-base percentage in 349 at-bats for Detroit this past season. He added four homers and 43 RBI en route to putting up the best performance of his career.
Despite this success, it is alarming to see the Angels send one of their top-10 prospects to the Tigers for a veteran that has failed to perform at an above-WAR level for the majority of his career.