Five years ago, Gordon Beckham was really good.
In the wake of Garrett Richards’ devastating injury, the Angels decided it was time to shore up the… infield?
On Thursday, the Angels acquired infielder Gordon Beckham from the Chicago White Sox, as Eric Kay, the club’s director of communications, announced on Twitter. In exchange for Beckham, the Angels will send either a player to be named later or cash to the White Sox. Beckham will join the team on Saturday in Oakland in time for game two of the club’s pivotal weekend series against the Athletics.
Halos have acquired INF Gordon Beckham from the White Sox for a PTBNL and cash. #Angels
— Eric Kay (@EKayAngels) August 21, 2014
Per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez, the Angels initially claimed Beckham off waivers, meaning all other AL clubs passed on him, as the Angels hold the best record in the league, and are subsequently at the bottom of the waiver order.
Beckham is far from an impact player, and has struggled with the White Sox this season. In 422 plate appearances, he has slashed just .221/.263/.336 with a 62 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR, though Baseball-Reference pegs his WAR at a more palatable 0.3. He comes rather cheaply, with less than $1 million remaining on his $4.175 million salary for this season, and isn’t eligible for free agency until after next season, though he is a non-tender candidate this winter as an arbitration-eligible player.
As GM Jerry Dipoto notes, Beckham’s role will be that of a utility player, primarily coming off the bench when facing left-handers, against whom he has hit an impressive .309/.349/.454 this season. He gives the Angels some added infield depth, as he is capable of playing both third and second base, while the team could try him at shortstop as well.
Not too long ago, Beckham was considered to be one of the most promising players in baseball, as he initially blossomed after being taken eighth overall in the 2008 draft out of the University of Georgia. During his rookie season in 2009, he posted a strong 109 wRC+ to go along with a 2.5 WAR and 14 home runs in just 103 games. However, his production has tailed off significantly since that season, never posting an OPS+ higher than 89, or 11% below the league average, and providing little value on defense.
The acquisition of Beckham initially fueled speculation that a deal for a starting pitcher could be imminent, as this may make either Howie Kendrick or Grant Green available. However, that appears unlikely, especially since Kendrick has been a boon for the Angels this season, and downgrading from him to Beckham may negate any value provided from adding a starter.
With Beckham now in tow, the Angels will likely turn all of their attention towards shoring up the rotation, which no longer appears to be the strength that it was just yesterday.