Report: Royals, Alcides Escobar agree to deal
The Kansas City Royals have reportedly decided to keep veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar around for their transition period, agreeing Friday to a deal with the 31-year-old, according to Robert Murray of FanRag Sports.
Escobar's deal, which is pending a physical, is said to be worth $2.5 million, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Escobar, who became a free agent this offseason along with Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Jason Vargas, and Lorenzo Cain (who reportedly signed a five-year deal with Milwaukee on Thursday), spent the last seven seasons in Kansas City, his durability, speed, and stellar defense helping the club to two American League pennants and a World Series title in 2015. His bat has always left something to be desired, however, and the one-time All-Star - with a career .640 OPS - regressed further at the dish last year, hitting just .250/.272/.357 (65 OPS+) with six homers and 36 doubles in 162 games.
| Season | WAR | G | OBP | wRC+ | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 1.9 | 158 | .290 | 70 | 26 |
| 2012 | 2.1 | 155 | .331 | 97 | 35 |
| 2013 | 1.1 | 158 | .259 | 49 | 22 |
| 2014 | 3.2 | 162 | .317 | 93 | 31 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 148 | .293 | 66 | 17 |
| 2016 | 0.5 | 162 | .292 | 69 | 17 |
| 2017 | 0.5 | 162 | .272 | 62 | 4 |
With a non-competitive stretch looming for the Royals, former top prospect Raul Adalberto Mondesi, now 22, was expected to take over at shortstop in 2018. If the club re-signs Escobar, his playing time will likely take a hit.