Angels get Cozart with $38M deal
ANAHEIM, Calif. — After spending his entire career at shortstop in Cincinnati, Zack Cozart was willing to switch positions for the chance to join the Los Angeles Angels’ promising lineup. Cozart was even willing to switch twice. The All-Star infielder agreed to a $38 million, three-year contract with the Angels on Friday, also agreeing to play third base in an infield suddenly packed with veteran talent.
“It’s just going to be a fun team to be around,” Cozart said. “[Left fielder Justin] Upton is already texting me. From what I hear about the clubhouse, it seems like it’s my type of team, a bunch of good grinder guys that want to get after it and win.”
Cozart gets $12,666,666 next season and $12,666,667 in each of the final two years of the deal.
With Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons already at shortstop, Angels general manager Billy Eppler initially was interested in signing Cozart to play second base. The free agent said he was amenable to that move, but then Eppler managed to swing a trade to acquire second baseman Ian Kinsler from Detroit on Wednesday.
The Angels maintained their pursuit of Cozart, but now to be their third baseman.
“He said, ‘If this is going to help us get into October, I’m all for it,’ ” Eppler recalled. “That right there made me feel extremely good that not only did we get the right player from an ability standpoint, but we got the right player from a character standpoint.”