Los Angeles Angels: 2B Tommy La Stella acquired from Cubs
A new infielder is making his way to the Los Angeles Angels after a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
The Los Angeles Angels added Tommy La Stella to the 40-man roster on Thursday. In exchange for La Stella, the Cubs will receive cash or a player. This move comes after the Cubs added Ronald Torreyes in a trade with the New York Yankees.
La Stella was a backup infielder in Chicago, but with the Angels lack of left-handed hitting, he could play more often than not with the Halos.
The team confirmed the trade on Twitter while also sharing that they unconditionally released Jabari Blash.
The #Angels have acquired INF Tommy La Stella from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) November 29, 2018
The club has requested unconditional release waivers on OF Jabari Blash for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.
The details on La Stella
La Stella saw success with the Cubs, but with infielders like Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and Ben Zobrist, he didn’t get much playing time. Now, he has to work with David Fletcher and Zack Cozart. La Stella also helped out the Cubs as an occasional pinch hitter and as DH in a few interleague games, but it is doubtful that he will get much time there with Albert Pujols still collecting a paycheck.
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La Stella began his career with the Braves in 2014 and was traded to Chicago. He’s still under team control and will not obtain free agency until 2021. He’s an affordable player, which is a good thing for the Angels with their financial commitments to Pujols, Mike Trout, and Justin Upton.
As a backup infielder in the NL, he played in 123 games in 2018 and only had 169 at-bats. He often plays in the late innings after double switches and pinch hits. In fact, he only played in 15 complete games in 2018. This number should increase now that he’s moved to the AL.
How he’ll fit in
La Stella is a slightly older left-handed version of Fletcher. They’re about the same size and play the same positions. Fletcher hit .275/.316/.363 in his rookie season. La Stella’s career slash with the Cubs is .273/.356/.397.
Because La Stella has had slightly more success at getting on base, he could see more time that Fletcher in 2018. But, their WAR numbers tell a different story as Fletcher finished the 2018 season with a WAR of 2.0 and La Stella’s was only 0.1.
Will he play 2nd?
La Stella could become the daily second baseman, simply because of his experience. The position should be his to lose, but playing every day in the AL is a different animal than playing one inning in the NL. If he succeeds at getting this position, he could be the sleeper story of the off-season.
After the Angels traded Ian Kinsler to the Red Sox, the team needed a second-baseman with experience. La Stella could be that who can fill the hole left by the Kinsler trade. Fletcher wasn’t bad at second, but La Stella also comes with a left-handed bat that will complement the heavily right-handed lineup.
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La Stella was on the 2016 World Series Cubs team. In fact, he is one a very small number of men on the 40-man who has been on the winning side of a playoff series. That experience alone makes him a valuable addition to the Halos 2019 squad.