12:34pm: The Rays have now announced the signing. Fellow infielder Daniel Robertson was optioned to Durham to clear a roster spot.
12:30pm: It’s a Major League deal for Espinosa with the Rays. (SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo first tweeted as much.)
12:16pm: The Rays are adding veteran infielder Danny Espinosa, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Espinosa began the year with the Angels but was cut loose and latched on with the Mariners before being released there as well. Topkin doesn’t specify the type of transaction, though presumably it’s a minor league deal. Espinosa was placed on release waivers five days ago, so he’d already have cleared at this point. Espinosa is represented by MVP Sports.
It’s been a brutal year at the plate for Espinosa, 30, as he’s struggled to a career-worst .164/.237/.279 slash line through 271 plate appearances in the American League West. In his first taste of American League play, the longtime Nationals infielder saw his strikeout rate soar to 36.2 percent as his line-drive rate plummeted to a career-worst 12.9 percent. Espinosa’s hard-hit rate (32.2 percent) is still a bit higher than his career mark (31.1 percent), but the majority of those balls in play have apparently been of the fly-ball or ground-ball variety, as Espinosa checks in north of 41 percent in each regard (41.8% grounders, 45.7 percent flies).
For all of his warts at the plate in recent years, though, Espinosa has terrific career marks in both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating as a second baseman and as a shortstop. Neither DRS nor UZR was especially bullish on his work in 2017, grading him as a roughly average glove at second base, but the track record (and the bit of experience he has at the hot corner as well) likely appealed to a Rays club that traditionally places a high value on defensive prowess and versatility.
Whether Espinosa immediately joins the big league club remains to be seen. We’re just a week away from the point at which rosters can expand, so Tampa Bay could conceivably stash him at Triple-A Durham for the next seven days and then bring him aboard to add some bench depth and versatility for the final month of the year.
This all, probably, wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t complained about being “unhappy” with the Nationals.
They had no use for him after the Eaton trade
expensive utility infielder? His defense is still above average to good
Could’ve just kept Beckham…
Exactly
Beckham wasn’t happy because he was moved from short to second. Now he’s killing it in Baltimore
And he will fall off.. and you will see why we got rid of him
And the Rays will see why the Angels and Mariners got rid of Espinosa.
He’s not here to be a superstar. He’s a bridge. I think the Rays know he’s not gonna hit .300
Remember Angel fan when you thought Espinosa was the second coming of Robinson Cano……? Unfortunately jokes on you, and that wonderful organization.
He has to think of a nickname quickly!
Anyone looking for the Devil Rays on any given day can always find them dumpster diving through the MLB trash bins, looking for someone who might be a tad better–read: cheaper–than their 25th guy. A player they can get essentially for free as another team will be on the hook for the majority of the balance remaining on his contract.
My dictionary has a picture of the Devil Rays logo next to the entry for Mickey Mouse organization.
The Angels are in bed with the Rays then…..
All we’ve heard for years (like 5+ years) is the justification for keeping Longoria in a Rays I i his entire career. Maybe the ship has sailed in terms of significant return, but how much payroll flexibility and prospect possibilities have they sacrificed by keeping him? Oh, but people will stop coming to games if they trade Longoria!!! Yo, Rays fan: they stopped coming to games a long time ago.