On May 4, the Royals signed former big league shortstop Alcides Escobar to a minor league deal to provide infield depth for the club. I loved this move by Kansas City, although I knew it would only be for minor league depth. During his time in Omaha, Escobar batted .274 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. I believe his stats would have been better if the Royals had the opportunity to sign him early in the season, but unfortunately he spent a big chunk of the season in Japan. The Royals knew very well that Escobar wouldn’t provide any pop to their Triple-A roster, so why would they have signed him when Bobby Witt Jr could have been playing in Omaha? I believe the main reason the Royals signed Escobar was because Mondesi couldn’t stay healthy, and Nicky Lopez wasn’t playing well at that time; but Escobar definitely turned his career around. For Witt Jr. I believe they didn’t want to rush him to the next level until they believed he was ready. However, many Royals fans believe Witt Jr. could skip Omaha and come straight from Northwest Arkansas to Kansas City. But with the Royals not being ready to promote Witt Jr., they decided to bring back Escobar for minor league depth. In 35 games with Omaha, Escobar hit well for a guy that isn’t known for his hitting ability. Despite his lack of power at the plate, I think the Royals could have gotten a little more for him in the trade with the Nationals like a speedy young infielder or outfielder for postseason depth, but I guess cash will have to do. I believe this is a great opportunity for Escobar to return to the postseason as probably as a late inning defensive upgrade or a pinch runner. I believe the Escobar trade will be a great move for the Nationals when the postseason comes around.
