Royals Rumors: San Diego Padres interested in Alcides Escobar
The Royals rumors continue, but this time, they’re surrounding a name we’re not hearing about nearly as much. That name is Alcides Escobar, who the San Diego Padres have their eye on.
A team other than the Kansas City Royals is interested in signing Alcides Escobar. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the San Diego Padres are seeking a shortstop to help groom their 18 year old prospect by the name of Fernando Tatis.
The Padres apparently like Escobar and what he could do for their organization in 2018. It’s not difficult to see why either, as Esky still has it defensively and has started all 162 games in three of the last four seasons.
"Escobar may be the most logical one-year fill-in for the Padres, and they are known to have interest. Zack Cozart is the top free agent shortstop, but he’ll get a multiyear deal, and the Padres don’t want to impede Tatis.More from Royals RumorsThe Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately3 Players the Royals Will Trade Before the DeadlineThe Kansas City Royals Projected 2022 Starting Rotation3 Breakout Candidates for the Kansas City Royals in 2022MLB Commissioner Spoke on CBA, Does It Affect the Royals?"
Not to be mean, but Escobar likely isn’t getting anything more than a one-year deal on the open market this season. His offensive numbers have declined (though he did have a hot second half in 2017 for the Royals) and he just isn’t getting on base as much as he used to.
The Padres obviously would want Escobar to help transition Tatis into a full-time shortstop. The Royals hoped for the same when they brought Raul Mondesi up a few seasons ago, but Mondesi still isn’t quite there yet. He could, however, get the chance to prove himself at his preferred position this year if Escobar does not re-sign with Kansas City.
With the Royals rumors focusing predominantly on Eric Hosmer (and now Mike Moustakas as well), perhaps I was off track when I thought that the team had a good shot at keeping Alcides Escobar for one more year. Beforehand, I did not think Escobar would have a lot of buzz in free agency, but the Padres would be a good fit for him.
Escobar slashed .250/.272/.357 with six home runs and 56 RBI a season ago. He had a rough start to the year, but started to figure things out again at the plate as the season progressed. His decent offensive numbers in the second half could have been enough for the Royals to consider keeping him, but now it looks like they’ll have competition.
Should the Royals offer Escobar a one-year deal or is it time to let him move on?