Rays Land Their Shortstop Escobar - Gary Armida's Blog

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Gary Armida's Blog

Rays Land Their Shortstop Escobar Stuck

Posted on December 5, 2012 at 01:33 AM.

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(Nashville, Tennessee)--When Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon spoke to a group of reporters on Monday, he talked about the reality of the Rays. The organization is going to lose people and will always have to find creative ways to keep the talent in-house. The Rays started that process this week when they signed James Loney to a one year, $2 million contract to be their first baseman. But, there were other holes to fill. Because of the flexibility of Ben Zobrist, General Manager Andrew Friedman could fill that hole in multiple ways and, as is typical Rays� operation, at a good value.

Friedman once again was able to upgrade his team at a premium value when he agreed to a trade that sent double-A shortstop Derek Dietrich to the Miami Marlins for 30 year old shortstop Yunel Escobar.

The Rays, as of today, have their strongest infield defense in years. The addition of Escobar strengthens the shortstop position and allows Ben Zobrist to slide over to second base, his best defensive position on the field. Escobar posted a UZR of 4.6 last season along with an elite level plus-16 DRS. As a full-time second baseman in 2011, Zobrist posted a UZR of 6.8 and a DRS of plus-23. With Loney and Longoria on the corners, the Rays� infield defense is the strongest in the league. Because of their lack of offense--they scored just 697 runs last season--run prevention is a necessity. Their elite level pitching staff is now supported by an elite level infield.

Although Escobar has had a couple of incidents that tarnish his reputation, he is a quality Major League shortstop. For his career, he is a .282/.353/.390 hitter. Since becoming a regular, he has averaged 23 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 home runs per season. Before moving Zobrist to shortstop mid season, the Rays deployed the likes of Elliott Johnson, Reid Brignac, and Jason Bartlett over the past three seasons. Escobar won�t be a key offensive player, but he provides a tremendous defensive upgrade and a good offensive upgrade from previous shortstops.

He is coming off his worst season as a Major Leaguer, posting a .253/.300/.344 slash line. Part of that poor performance has to do with his dramatic decline in walk percentage, falling by nearly 50 percent from 2011 to just 5.8 percent. Aside from a low BABIP, every other statistic fell within his career norms. Escobar will have to return to his patient approach in order to be a complete value to the Rays.

Making him a perfect fit for the Rays is the fact that he is under their control for just $5 million per season for the next three seasons. A cost effective, elite level defender who can provide slightly better than league average offense is valuable, especially to a club that is pitching dependent. The elite level staff benefits from an improved defense anchored by Escobar.

Of course, there are issues. Everyone knows the eye black incident. Escobar hasn�t taken responsibility for the homophobic slur, saying that it was a joke from teammates. But, last year�s incident wasn�t the first of Escobar�s career. The talented shortstop was essentially given away by Braves after having numerous run-ins with Bobby Cox. If there is a manager in the game who can work with nearly everyone, it is Joe Maddon. Escobar�s history is a concern and Maddon will have to deal with it. For a team that has near perfect chemistry, they will have to absorb whatever possible controversy that could arise.

On the field, however, Yunel Escobar improves the Rays. And, if you have faith in your Manager to manage your people, adding one with a past won�t hurt.

The Marlins once again purge salary. In exchange, they land 22 year old left handed hitting shortstop Derek Dietrich. Dietrich finished the 2012 season at the double-A level after starting the season at high-A ball. In all, he hit .279/.338/.457 with 28 doubles, 10 triples, 14 home runs, and 75 RBI. While there is very real power, many believe that Dietrich is a player without a position as he doesn�t profile as a shortstop in the Major Leagues. This was all about dumping a salary and the fact that Escobar wasn�t comfortable playing third base.

The deal looks like a major win for the Rays and Escobar. The Rays get above average play from a key position while Escobar gets a chance to re-establish his value. When people want to know why the Rays are so successful, this trade would be one of the many examples.