{"id":9166,"date":"2017-09-24T23:07:48","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T03:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/?p=9166"},"modified":"2017-09-24T23:07:48","modified_gmt":"2017-09-25T03:07:48","slug":"alcides-escobar-unlikely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2017\/09\/24\/alcides-escobar-unlikely\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcides Escobar is Unlikely to be Re-Signed by Kansas City Royals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alcides Escobar<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is unlikely to be re-signed by the Kansas City Royals<\/a>. After seven years in Kansas City, he may only have a week left in a Royals uniform. He is one of six Royals who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the 2017 season. Five of those six years were key contributors on the 2014-2015 teams that went to back to back World Series. All five hold a special place in the hearts of Royals fans. Last Word on Sports<\/strong><\/a> has already documented the contributions of Mike Moustakas<\/strong><\/a> and Jason Vargas<\/a><\/strong>. The stories for Lorenzo Cain<\/a><\/strong> and Eric Hosmer<\/a><\/strong> will follow in the next week. Today we will look at what Escobar has meant to the team and its fans.<\/p>\n

The Monster Deal<\/h2>\n

Escobar came to the Royals in one of the most impactful trades in the history of the franchise. In the off-season after the 2010 season, 2009 Cy Young<\/a> winner Zack Greinke<\/a><\/strong> asked to be traded to a team that had championship potential. Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt<\/a> <\/strong>were sent to the Milwaukee Brewers <\/strong><\/a>in exchange for Escobar, Cain, Jeremy Jeffress<\/a><\/strong> and Jake Odorizzi<\/a><\/strong>. Two years later, Odorizzi was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays<\/strong><\/a> along with Patrick Leonard<\/a><\/strong>, Mike Montgomery<\/a><\/strong> and Wil Myers<\/a> <\/strong>for James Shields<\/a><\/strong> and Wade Davis<\/a><\/strong>. That original transaction set the Royals on a course for their first Championship in 30 years. Escobar played an enormous role in that journey.<\/p>\n

Escobar was exactly what the Royals thought that they were getting. He was extremely reliable defensively. He was aggressive at the plate and fast on the base paths. His game was in perfect harmony with what the Royals were trying to do. In his first three seasons as a Royal, he was solid defensively. There were no complaints. In 2014, the Royals acquired fellow Venezuelan Omar Infante<\/a><\/strong>. It\u2019s unclear exactly how this impacted Escobar but it coincided with an increase in range, effort and athleticism. It\u2019s as if Infante grabbed Escobar by the neck and pulled him close like a Mafioso and whispered in his ear, \u201cYou have to try just a little bit harder. You have to do more.\u201d Whatever happened when Infante arrived, it turned Escobar into a special player. He went from a reliable defender to a human highlight reel.<\/p>\n

2015 Was Special<\/strong><\/h3>\n

2015 was a special season for Escobar in a lot of ways. His defense was spectacular and he made his first All-Star team. His teammates started calling him, \u201cEl Mago\u201d which translates to the magician. He won the Gold Glove and his contributions in the ALCS earned him the MVP award for the series. Offensively, he was a bit of an anomaly. Statistically, there was no justification for putting him in the lead off spot other than the fact that the Royals won when he was there. He became notorious for swinging at the first pitch regardless of what it looked like.<\/p>\n

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Alcides Escobar | Gold Glove | 2015 Highlights \u1d34\u1d30 https:\/\/t.co\/LyCAjJxHlp<\/a><\/p>\n

— ShortStop (@segurat5) March 14, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n