The Washington Nationals are acquiring 34-year old infielder Alcides Escobar in a trade with the Kansas City Royals. The Nationals are sending the Royals cash in exchange of Escobar, according to Maria Torres of the Athletic.
Escobar hasn’t played in the majors since 2018. In 2019, he played for Triple-A Charlotte. Then in 2020 he played in Japan before returning to Royals organization for 2021. However, he went sent to minors with Triple-A Omaha in which he has five home runs and 16 RBIs. He is hitting .274/.311/.452 with six walks in 133 plate appearances.
He spent seven of his 11 major-league seasons with the Royals. His best year was 2015. He became an All-Star, won a Gold Glove, was named ALCS MVP and won a World Series title. It’s been a struggle to get back to that form.
Presumably, Escobar will provide depth to the Nationals infield as Jordy Mercer landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right quadriceps. Shortstop Trea Turner also has been banged up with a finger injury that has kept him out of the lineup the last two games.
