The veteran shortstop, Alcides Escobar, will be staying in Kansas City. Robert Murray reports that the team and Escobar have reached a deal. Buster Olney of ESPN says that the deal is for one-year and worth $2.5 million.
Source: #Royals, Alcides Escobar have a deal, pending physical.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 26, 2018
Alcides Escobar's deal with the Royals is for $2.5 million.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 26, 2018
Short Stop Alcides Escobar Re-Signs With the Kansas City Royals
Escobar’s Career Profile
Signed as an international free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers at age 16 for $35,000 in 2003, he would have to wait for five years before making it to the MLB. In his rookie season in 2008, he would only play nine games and bat a .500 batting average. Escobar would have to wait until 2010 to gain the starting job as the shortstop for the Brewers. That year, he hit a .238 batting average with four home runs and 41 RBI. In his time in Milwaukee, Escobar hit a .250 batting average with five home runs and 52 RBI. During the 2010 off-season, Escobar was part of a trade that built the Kansas City Royals championship roster. Escobar, along with center fielder Lorenzo Cain, and pitchers Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi, was traded to the Royals. In exchange, the Brewers acquired shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and pitcher Zack Greinke from the Royals.
In his first season with Kansas City, Escobar started at shortstop for the Royals playing 158 games. During that 2011 season, Escobar hit a .254 batting average with four home runs and 46 RBI. In 2014, Escobar would play all 162 games of the season, becoming one of four players to do that during the 2014 season. The year after, in 2015, Escobar became a World Series champion.
Along with that championship, Escobar was named an All-Star, won the ALCS MVP, and won a Golden Glove. During this spectacular season, Escobar hit a .257 batting average with three home runs and 47 RBI. In that Word Series run, Escobar hit a .329 batting average with one home run and nine RBI. During his seven years in Kansas City, Escobar hit a .262 batting average with 32 home runs and 356 RBI. In total, Escobar is hitting a .260 batting average with 37 home runs and 408 RBI.
The Impact Of The Signing
For the Royals, they keep one of their free agents, after losing Cain to the Brewers, yesterday. The team has a number of other free agents and some massive holes to fill. For Escobar, he has a chance to prove his time in Kansas City to date wasn’t a fluke, and he will look to make use of every opportunity.
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