#Angels have acquired IF Josh Rutledge from the Rockies for RHP Jairo Diaz. I guess he competes for 2B job.
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) December 11, 2014
Rutledge turns 26 in April. While he has shown some flashes in short bursts -- and while he really rocketed through the Rockies system -- he’s never really established himself as a major league quality bat, hitting .259/.308/.403 in 947 plate appearances across three seasons. He has played more shortstop than second base, but that’s not to suggest that he’s a plus glove either, as he really can’t handle short. Obviously the Angels will, as the Rockies have done, see if he can handle second base full time.
In exchange, the Rockies got themselves a really nice reliever. Diaz had a 2.20 ERA and a 48/10 K/BB ratio in 32 2/3 innings in Double-A last season before coming up in September and allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings for the Angels. With his high-90s fastball and slider, he could be a long-term closer for Colorado.