The Indians announced that they’ve claimed left-hander Edwin Escobar off waivers from the D-backs and outrighted catcher Chris Gimenez off the 40-man roster.
Escobar, 24, pitched 23 2/3 innings of relief for Arizona this past season and allowed 19 runs (7.23 ERA) with a 17-to-12 K/BB ratio, although three of those free passes were issued intentionally. In 286 innings at the Triple-A level, Escobar has a 4.63 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9. The former Giants and Red Sox farmhand found himself in Arizona by way of waiver claim back in April and comes from a baseball family, as he’s the cousin of Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar, Angels righty Vicente Campos and retired right-hander Kelvim Escobar. His father, Jose, also briefly played in the Majors in the early 90s as well. Escobar is the second lefty to be claimed by Cleveland today, as the Indians also claimed Tim Cooney from St. Louis.
The well-traveled Gimenez returned to the organization that drafted him this season and nearly captured a World Series ring in the process. The 33-year-old batted a timid .216/.272/.331, but right-hander Trevor Bauer credited Gimenez’s work behind the plate a great deal for the turnaround and consistently solid results he delivered for much of the season. Gimenez figures to elect free agency and seek a new organization this winter. He’ll do so with a career .218/.297/.335 line across 776 Major League plate appearances and a 24 percent caught-stealing rate in 215 career games behind the dish.
Nice day for Cleveland. Cooney on waivers is really nice.
D’Backs are letting a lot of relievers go. I know that our bullpen was atrocious last season, but I’m curious as to what they’re going to do from here on out.
Seems to me the Tribe is hitting the market hard for another lefty reliever. Get as many as you can and hope one sticks.
This is the problem with the Indians. they never target LH relief in free agency, like Brett Cecil. So, claiming 2 lefties & keeping dead weight like Adams/Aguilar/M.Martinez/Crockett on the 40 man exposes 1B Nellie Rodriguez & OF Anthony Santander to the rule 5 draft.. Cooney & Escobar = Crockett/Giovani Soto (who we had at one time). These 2 wasted waiver claims could cost the Indians TWO hitting prospects in our biggest needs OF/1B. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blue Jays draft both Rodriguez & Santander in case free agency doesn’t go well for them. Shapiro & co. know both players well, & could stash them on the bench.
I remember Gimenez batting one handed after doing something horrible to his shoulder as a Mariner. Top team mate.