Although he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball in December 2023, four-time Gold Glove Award winner Andrelton Simmons will play with the Dorados de Chihuahua this spring in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (LMB).
Simmons, 35, was born in Mundo Nobo, Curaçao. He was drafted in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves out of Western Oklahoma State College. He made his MLB debut in 2012 and became the Braves everyday shortstop up to 2015, winning two Gold Gloves as a member of the Braves organization.
In November 2015, Simmons was dealt with catcher Jose Briceno to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Erick Aybar, Sean Newcomb, and Chris Ellis. Simmons spent five seasons in an Angels uniform, winning back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2017 and 2018. Simmons would play with the Twins in 2021 and the Cubs in 2022, where he was released after playing in 34 games.
In his 11 years in the majors, Simmons played in 1,225 games, picking up 1,169 hits, 70 home runs, 444 RBIs, and 72 stolen bases while hitting for a .263 career batting average.
Simmons joined Curaçao in the Caribbean Series during the 2022-23 winter, playing in seven games, hitting .280 with a home run and three RBIs. In October 2023, Simmons was drafted in the first round of Baseball United’s inaugural draft, being selected by the Mumbai Cobras with the eighth overall pick. Although he announced his retirement two months later, he also played with Curaçao in the Caribbean Series during 2023-24. Simmons only picked up three hits in 19 at-bats in six games, hitting .158.
Simmons will play in his first season in Mexico, a league featuring his former international teammates, Didi Gregorious and Jonathan Schoop. The Dorados de Chihuahua finished last in the Norte Division in 2024 with a 33-60 record, the third-worst record in the league behind the Tigres de Quintana Roo and the Piratas de Campeche. It will be intriguing to see what Simmons’ veteran leadership will bring to the clubhouse in Mexico as he looks to continue his playing career.
