ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Atlanta Braves traded shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday for shortstop Erick Aybar, and top pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis.

The Braves also got $2.5 million and the Angels received minor league catcher Jose Briceno.

Simmons is arguably the best defensive shortstop in baseball, winning the Gold Glove in 2013 and 2014. He was named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, offsetting his mediocre offensive skills with spectacular work in the field.

Aybar has been the Angels’ starting shortstop since 2008 and a key player in Anaheim for a decade, making the AL All-Star team in 2014. He has been dependable in the field and at the plate, but will be a free agent next winter.

ASTROS: A person familiar with the decision said outfielder Colby Rasmus accepted Houston’s one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer, the first free agent to agree to such a deal.

All 34 qualifying offers were turned down in the first three years of baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement. When a player rejects the deal to test the market, his former team receives an additional high selection in the June draft.

MARINERS-PADRES: Seattle kept on addressing its bullpen by acquiring right-handed reliever Joaquin Benoit from San Diego for a pair of minor league prospects.

Seattle sent minor league right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos and minor league infielder Nelson Ward back to the Padres.

ATHLETICS: Mark Kotsay, a former outfielder who played for the Portland Sea Dogs in 1997 and is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame, will rejoin Oakland Athletics as bench coach on Manager Bob Melvin’s staff.

In a 17-year big league career, Kotsay spent the 2004-07 seasons with the A’s.

DIAMONDBACKS: Matt Williams, who was fired last month as the Washington manager, returned to his old job as Arizona’s third-base coach.

Williams, who played for Arizona for six seasons and was part of the team’s 2001 World Series championship team, was a Diamondbacks coach from 2010-13, the last three seasons as third-base coach. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

MARINERS: Scott Brosius, a former major leaguer, was hired as the hitting coach for Triple-A Tacoma in Seattle’s organization.

Brosius, an 11-year major league veteran with Oakland and the New York Yankees, spent the past eight seasons as the coach of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, where Brosius played before embarking on his professional career. Brosius complied a 270-96 record at Linfield, leading the school to a national championship in 2014 and four regional titles. The victory in the national final came against Southern Maine.

BRAVES: Veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski will return for another season after agreeing to a $3 million, one-year contract.