Yunel Escobar Traded to the Nats

[revo]

could that mean Ian Desmond is on the move? Damn this has been one busy hot stove season.

[Sour Masher]

This doesn't mean that Clippard is closing does it? It would surpraise me, since they have Doolittle locked up, while Clippard is a FA after 2015. But rotoworld indicates he'll be in line to close.

[Davros]

A's beat writer John Hickey believes that Doolittle will remain the closer, at least for now.

http://www.mercurynews.com/athletics/ci_27321915/send-yunel-escobar-nationals-reliever-tyler-clippard

Clippard, who has a 2.50 ERA and 33 saves over the course of the last three seasons, slots into the back of the A's bullpen, doing setup work for closer Sean Doolittle, a role that was handled by Luke Gregerson last season. Gregerson now is with the Houston Astros.

[rhd]

I think this is a terrible trade for the Nats and a good one for the A's. In 2 yrs, he's gone from an above-average fielder to a way below avg one. His total fielding runs above avg was -17 (BRef) and his UZR also was -17 (FanGraphs). His OPS was .664 so it's not like he's making up for it w his offense. His overall WAR was 0.2 according to FG and -0.2 according to BRef. Has no speed either. The guy he's supposed to replace, Danny Espinosa, had a miserable offensive season (.634 OPS) and horrible plate discipline but still managed a better WAR than Escobar at 0.6. This was because he was above-avg defensively, w a 2.3 UZR (FG) and a +2 total fielding runs above avg (BRef). And it's not like you can platoon them because EScobar is RHed and altho Espy switch hits, he hits much better from the rt side. So they gave away one of the premier setup men in MLB for a guy who doesnt even project to be an upgrade at 2B, unless somehow he does better at 2B than he did at SS. They've weakened their bullpen and Storen is no sure thing at closer. I dont know what Oakland's interest was in Escobar in the first place, but now their already strong bullpen is that much stronger.

[BigJonEmpire]

I'm still betting a buck on Uggla's comeback.

[joncarlos]

I dont know what Oakland's interest was in Escobar in the first place, but now their already strong bullpen is that much stronger.

I saw somewhere on twitter that the Rays made taking Escobar a requirement for getting Zobrist. In other words, the A's didn't necessarily want him.

If the Nats are going for it this year, I don't know why they didn't just re-sign Asdrubal Cabrera. It's not like he cost the Rays all that much. Maybe they still think Escobar can play SS and they can use him there next year when Desmond leaves. Or if they trade Desmond. I don't know... Desmond is a good shortstop and they're not poor, I don't see why they don't just try to keep him.

Sure, J-Zimm and Fister are also both free agents after 2015, and they still haven't figured out Harper's long-term deal, but I'd be more worried about keeping the plus shortstop than the pitchers.

[Moonlight J]

Escobar is due $10M over the next two years and his attitude completely changed once the Rays gave him the contract extension. Everything that went right in 2013 with him went wrong in 2014. I don't see he & Matt Williams making it through the season without conflict

[Hornsby]

Escobar is due $10M over the next two years and his attitude completely changed once the Rays gave him the contract extension. Everything that went right in 2013 with him went wrong in 2014. I don't see he & Matt Williams making it through the season without conflict

I wouldn't be surprised to see a total attitude turnaround now that Escobar is with a winning team. It had to be horrible in TB last season, and he wouldn't be the 1st player to phone it in once he realized that there was no hope for seasons to come. It's a pretty low risk deal for the Nats, for some reason they seemed set on dealing Clippard anyway, can't figure out why. So they still have Desmond, and Espinoza, and now they have Escobar to be a sub, or starter, depending on what they do with Desmond. It's a hedge, nothing more, nothing less, IMO.

[BuckyBuckner]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a total attitude turnaround now that Escobar is with a winning team. It had to be horrible in TB last season, and he wouldn't be the 1st player to phone it in once he realized that there was no hope for seasons to come. It's a pretty low risk deal for the Nats, for some reason they seemed set on dealing Clippard anyway, can't figure out why. So they still have Desmond, and Espinoza, and now they have Escobar to be a sub, or starter, depending on what they do with Desmond. It's a hedge, nothing more, nothing less, IMO.

Isn't Escobar the starter regardless of what they do with Desmond? It's Espinosa that will be out of a job if Desmond sticks around.

[Moonlight J]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a total attitude turnaround now that Escobar is with a winning team. It had to be horrible in TB last season, and he wouldn't be the 1st player to phone it in once he realized that there was no hope for seasons to come. It's a pretty low risk deal for the Nats, for some reason they seemed set on dealing Clippard anyway, can't figure out why. So they still have Desmond, and Espinoza, and now they have Escobar to be a sub, or starter, depending on what they do with Desmond. It's a hedge, nothing more, nothing less, IMO.

He phoned it in days after his new contract in April.

[Bob Kohm]

I'm with Jason on this one and living in DC I haven't seen much evidence that the team was set on moving Clippard, who was ridiculously popular here given that he's a middle reliever. The Nats do seem set on trading their way out of the free agent trap they find themselves in at the end of this year with Zimm, Fister, Desmond, etc, though. I fully expect them to trade Desmond over the coming week and then make a renewed effort to get Zimmerman extended.

[joncarlos]

, for some reason they seemed set on dealing Clippard anyway, can't figure out why.

I think they're just freaking out that most of their team is expiring after this year (Fister, J Zimm, Desmond, Clippard, Span) and they wanted to hedge against a complete collapse in 2016. Whether having a 7mil Yuni Escobar on their 2016 roster actually helps that goal remains to be seen.

[Erik]

I think they're just freaking out that most of their team is expiring after this year (Fister, J Zimm, Desmond, Clippard, Span) and they wanted to hedge against a complete collapse in 2016. Whether having a 7mil Yuni Escobar on their 2016 roster actually helps that goal remains to be seen.

It seems like the whole damn division is rebuilding. At this rate, 82 wins will take it.

[joncarlos]

It seems like the whole damn division is rebuilding. At this rate, 82 wins will take it.

I was thinking about that earlier. Maybe it does make sense to trade Desmond for a couple of high-end prospects if you can get it. Then again, they have to want more than a division title, right? They could win the division with Escobar and Espinosa as their MIs, but I'm not sure they can win the WS.

[Moonlight J]

Clippard is going to make over $9M in a non-closing role in 2015. Nats have enough bullpen to put that money elsewhere