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r/minnesotatwins•
Tedimon

Next year's Eduardo Escobar

As most of you know, this is the last year on the contracts of Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier, and there has been plenty of discussion around their futures. But there is one other long time Twin who becomes a free agent next offseason: Eduardo Escobar. I remember the Twins community being pretty underwhelmed with the trade that brought him here: Fransisco Liriano for Pedro Hernandez and Eduardo Escobar. Hernandez certainly didn't pan out, but I think its safe to say Escobar has been a great pickup.

Last year, Escobar put up his best ever offensive season: .254/.309/.449 with 21 home runs. When handed a full time gig while filling in for Sano he put up an OPS of .826 and hit 10 HR over the key final six weeks of the season that saw the Twins streak into the playoffs. Once again Sano figures to miss some time, either due to injury or possible suspension from #MeToo allegations. Escobar will again be there to fill in.

So what does the future hold for him? Last year he OPS'd .758, and he certainly seemed to figure something out down the stretch. The MLB average OPS for 3B last season was .768. His other stats also put him right about league average offensively for a third baseman. If he can still play SS (where he spent most of his career prior to last year) then his numbers look even better. League average is an upgrade for a lot of teams, and with so many teams outright tanking these days, it seems possible to me that one of those teams will view Escobar as a cheap plug and play starter at 3B or SS. So I think Escobar will have his eyes on a starting role as he hits free agency, especially if he continues to build on those last six weeks. With Sano entrenched at third, and middle infield depth for days, I don't see him as a fit for the Twins next year sadly. What do you think?

Posted Feb 28, 2018, 8:54 PM UTC

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dong_lover•

Love mighty mouse but it seems pretty likely that Nick Gordon will be ready for 2019.

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TedimonOP•

I see Gordon more as a Dozier replacement. Escobars super-utility role will be up for grabs.

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dong_lover•

Yeah good point. I guess I don't know Adrianzas contract status but he would at least be a decent stop gap

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AnalAttackProbe•

I think he'll be called up before 2018 is over. He looks ready.

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ferdsherd•

I'll take the wait and see approach with Eddy this year. People forget he was God-awful in 2016, if he regresses to something similar we may not want him back anyway. Love the guy though

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cuzbb•

I agree with the others. Wait and see. He’s a solid player but not a long term answer by any means. They have young/cheaper talent(Gordon) that I assume they expect to be ready for 2019. My guess is he will be gone after this season.

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NotPercyChuggs•

The biggest mistake the Twins and their fans can make this year is thinking guys like Escobar and Polanco are going to stay hot into 2018. Temper your expectations.

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[deleted]•

Polanco and Escobar are different cases. I think we can expect a lot from Polanco. Escobar’s expectations should be tempered though.

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Neil_deGrase_Tyson•

That's one year of a what, 5, 6 year career. He could stay what he was last season, producing decently on offense and being a Twin on defense. However, there are other options of players, just like him, in our own organization.

The thing that makes Eddie stand out is his personality/attitude. Him and BullDozier are amazing and fun. They seem to lighten up everybody (insert Dozier peeing in Oakland gif). I'd hate to see Joe, or Brian, or Eddie leave, but I'd rather have Joe or Brian first.

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horderofmagnitude•

After 2017 I too started to think EE deserves a starting role. And, sadly, he's never going to find it here. If he doesn't regress too much in 2018 then he should get that shot on another team.

Edit: typo

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