Andrelton Simmons dazzled defensively during his five years with the Angels and the shortstop left a long-lasting impression with the fans.

But the Angels moved on from Simmons this offseason, trading for shortstop José Iglesias from the Orioles, while Simmons signed a one-year deal with the Twins. Iglesias has the difficult task of taking over at short for Simmons, but the nine-year veteran has had a solid career of his own and isn’t viewing it in those terms.

“I don’t think of it as replacing anybody,” Iglesias said via Zoom on Sunday. “That’s my spot and I’m going to protect it every night. I’m doing it for this name right here, ‘the Angels,’ and I’m extremely happy to do so.”

Iglesias, 31, is coming off a strong year with Baltimore, batting .373/.400/.556 with three homers, 17 doubles and 24 RBIs in 39 games. He's a career .278/.319/.381 hitter but Iglesias believes he's made improvements that he can carry over into this season.

“I’ve been up and down with my offense in my career but I know myself now and know what I’m capable of,” Iglesias said. “I’m not trying to be anybody else. I’m trying to be myself and I think that’s something that has paid off for me the last few years.”

Iglesias is one of only a few offseason acquisitions without any previous ties to manager Joe Maddon or new general manager Perry Minasian. But he’s known third-base coach Brian Butterfield since 2013, when Butterfield was the third-base coach and infield coach for the Red Sox.

Butterfield has long been regarded as one of the best infield coaches in baseball and Iglesias credited him for helping him early in his career. Iglesias has never won a Gold Glove Award but has consistently been rated as an above-average defender at the position.

“Butterfield got me when I was younger and made a big impact on my career on and off the field,” Iglesias said. “He’s a coach that cares and has a lot of energy. I’m extremely happy I was able to share that experience with him early in my career. I’m happy to be working with him again and the whole staff has been tremendous.”

Iglesias is also reunited with right-hander Alex Cobb, who was also acquired in a trade with the Orioles this offseason. The two were teammates last season and Cobb came away impressed by what Iglesias brought to the team.

“He blew away my every expectation,” Cobb said. “He was just so much fun to be around every day, great energy. So just beyond excited. He was one of the first people who called me after the trade. We got along really well.”

Maddon has enjoyed watching Iglesias work defensively and at the plate so far this spring and is excited for the infield defense that also features strong defenders in second baseman David Fletcher and third baseman Anthony Rendon.

Iglesias and Fletcher should form one of the best defensive duos up the middle in the Majors this season, which only helps the club’s pitching staff. It’s a reason why the Angels wanted to acquire an elite defender at short this offseason.

“We picked up Iglesias and all of a sudden we have a dynamic middle infield,” Maddon said. “You’ve got two very athletic infielders who play the game hard and have great instincts. I’m eager to watch this marriage. It’s going to be very entertaining. It’ll solidify our defense, which in turn, solidifies our pitching.”

Iglesias is excited for that pairing as well and is also glad that he was traded to a contending team. He admitted he was a bit surprised he was dealt but understands it’s a business. Iglesias is set to be a free agent after the season but has goals he wants to accomplish with the Angels.

“I'm happy for the opportunity to play for a contender,” Iglesias said. “I'm extremely confident and I'm happy to help this team win games. I'm in the best position of my career, mentally and physically. I’m just extremely happy to be here."