The Milwaukee Brewers acquired infielder Eduardo Escobar from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for outfielder Cooper Hummel and third baseman Alberto Ciprian, the teams announced Wednesday.
Escobar, a pending free agent, fills a major need for the Brewers as a switch-hitting infielder with plenty of pop in his bat. The 32-year-old was a first-time All-Star for Arizona this year and is hitting .246/.300/.478 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs in 98 games. He also has plenty of experience playing third base, shortstop, and second base, and has made some occasional outfield appearances.
The Brewers envision Escobar as someone who can help them all over the field, including first base vs. LHP.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) July 28, 2021
The NL Central-leading Brewers have struggled offensively this season. When he joins the team, Escobar will be just the fourth Brewers position player with double-digit home runs. They've also received some of the worst production at both first and third base.
Neither of the prospects heading to Arizona were ranked among the Brewers' top 30 on MLB.com.
Hummel, 26, has hit .254/.435/.508 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in 46 games at Triple-A Nashville this year. A catcher by trade, he's made just four appearances behind the plate this season while primarily playing left field.
Ciprian was signed by Milwaukee out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 and has yet to play professionally in the United States. The 18-year-old owns a .979 OPS in 12 games with the Brewers' Dominican Summer League affiliate.
