The Angels’ Family Tree

When Erick Aybar was traded to the Braves two weeks ago, the Angels didn’t just say goodbye to a franchise stalwart; they also bid farewell to the organization’s defining era of player development. From 1998 to 2002, the front office brought in an incredible group of amateur talent: Francisco Rodriguez, John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Casey Kotchman, Howie Kendrick, Kevin Jepsen, Joe Saunders, Mike Napoli, and Aybar (among others) were all drafted and/or signed in that span. Members of that group were key to both the club’s 2002 championship season and to the decade of unprecedented success that followed it.

Come 2015, Aybar was the only player left of that group who was part of the organization when the club won the World Series—he was signed as an amateur free agent in February of that year—but he wasn’t (and isn’t) the only one who could trace his “franchise lineage” back that far. If you’re a fan of transaction trees, which trace players’ franchise origins as far back as possible through trades and draft compensation, there are nine current Angels—Andrelton Simmons now included—whose Anaheim origin stories extend at least as far as Aybar’s.

Transaction trees aren’t particularly enlightening or meaningful in and of themselves, but they can make for good trivia. For instance, did you know that Jason Grilli’s brief tenure with the Angels can be traced back to Matt Harvey? Harvey was selected by the Halos in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft, but did not sign. Back then, if any pick in the top three rounds did not sign, the affected team was given a compensation pick in the same round the following year. The Angels, then, got a third-round supplemental pick in 2008. That went to Zach Cone, who didn’t sign either. The comp pick then carried over to Josh Spence in 2009, who also did not sign. Finally, after three whiffs, the team selected and signed Donn Roach with the comp pick in 2010. Roach eventually went to San Diego in the Ernesto Frieri trade, who in turn went to Pittsburgh for Grilli. Ultimately, the transaction tree looked like this:

Matt Harvey -> Zach Cone -> Josh Spence -> Donn Roach -> Ernesto Frieri -> Jason Grilli

Kinda weird, mostly frivolous, but pretty fun for what-if scenarios. If not for Matt Harvey spurning MLB in 2007, maybe the Angels never make the challenge trade that helped create the best bullpen in baseball for the second half of 2014. On the other hand, if Harvey had signed…

But I digress. The Angels’ current roster has several interesting transaction trees of its own, though none that come close to matching the longest in the game—David Wright’s place with the Mets can be traced back to 1967(!!!). More than anything, I feel the roster history helps illuminate just how critical the old free-agent compensation rules have been to building a competitive Angels club the last few years. It’s a shame the club has been unable to reap similar benefits from the new rules.

All 40 players are listed below, from newest to oldest:  

2015

Geovany Soto – signed as a free agent on November 24

Cliff Pennington – signed as a free agent on November 17

Todd Cunningham – selected off waivers on October 9

2014

Taylor Featherston – purchased from the Cubs on December 14

Johnny Giavotella – acquired for Brian Broderick on December 19, 2014; Broderick was signed as a free agent on November 23

2013

Joe Smith – signed as a free agent on November 27

Kyle Kubitza – acquired for Ricardo Sanchez on January 8, 2015; Sanchez was signed as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2013

2012

Rafael Lopez – acquired for Manuel Rondon on July 3, 2015; Rondon was signed as an amateur free agent on December 4, 2012

Collin Cowgill – acquired for Kyle Johnson on June 25, 2013; Johnson selected by Angels in the 25th round of the 2012 draft

Mike Morin – selected in 13th round of draft

Cesar Ramos – acquired for Mark Sappington on November 5, 2014; Sappington selected by Angels in 5th round of 2012 draft

2011

Albert Pujols & C.J. Wilson – signed as a free agents on December 8

Victor Alcantara – signed as an amateur free agent on June 10

Jett Bandy – selected in 31st round of draft

C.J. Cron – selected in 1st round (17th pick) of draft

2010

Cory Rasmus – acquired for Scott Downs on July 29, 2013; Downs signed by Angels as free agent on December 10, 2010

Kole Calhoun – selected in 8th round of draft

2009

Danny Reynolds – selected in 6th round of draft

2008

Matt Shoemaker – signed as an amateur free agent on August 14

2007

Efren Navarro – selected in the 50th round of draft

Jose Alvarez – acquired for Andrew Romine on March 21, 2014; Romine selected by Angels in 5th round of 2007 draft

2004

Hector Santiago & Tyler Skaggs* – acquired for Mark Trumbo and one other in three-team trade on December 10, 2013; Trumbo selected in 18th round of 2004 draft

Carlos Perez & Nick Tropeano – acquired for Hank Conger on November 5, 2014; Conger selected in 1st round (25th pick) of 2006 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Paul Byrd (!!!), who signed as a free agent on December 14, 2004

Jered Weaver – selected in 1st round (12th pick) of draft

2002

Andrew Heaney – acquired for Howie Kendrick on December 11, 2014; Kendrick selected by Angels in 10th round of 2002 draft

Andrelton Simmons – acquired for Erick Aybar and two others on November 12, 2015; Aybar was signed by Angels as an amateur free agent on February 4, 2002

2001

Mike Trout – selected in 1st round (25th pick) of 2009 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Mark Teixeira, who was acquired for Casey Kotchman on July 29, 2008; Kotchman was selected by Angels in 1st round (13th pick) of 2001 draft

2000

Trevor Gott & Huston Street – acquired for Taylor Lindsey and three others on July 19, 2014; Lindsey selected in 1st round (37th pick) of 2010 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Chone Figgins, who was acquired for Kimera Bartee on July 13, 2001; Bartee was signed by the Angels as a free agent on December 11, 2000

Kaleb Cowart – selected in 1st round (18th pick) in 2010 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Chone Figgins, who was acquired for Kimera Bartee on July 13, 2001; Bartee was signed by the Angels as a free agent on December 11, 2000

1999

Cam Bedrosian – selected in 1st round (29th pick) of 2010 draft; pick was compensation for loss of John Lackey, who was selected by Angels in 2nd round of 1999 draft

1998

Garrett Richards – selected in 1st round (42nd pick) of 2009 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Francisco Rodriguez, who was signed as an amateur free agent on September 24, 1998

Fernando Salas** – acquired for Randal Grichuk (and Peter Bourjos) on November 22, 2013; Grichuk selected in 1st round (24th pick) of 2009 draft; pick was compensation for loss of Francisco Rodriguez, who was signed as an amateur free agent on September 24, 1998

Ed. Note: I published a similar post at Halos Daily around this time last year. Thought it was worth an update.

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*Skaggs was also selected and signed by the Angels in the first round of 2009 draft with the comp pick for losing Mark Teixeira, but that original tree was broken when after Dan Haren became a free agent in 2012

**Had David Freese been extended a qualifying offer, his line would have continued alongside Salas’ whether he accepted the offer or not. Alas…