Last week the Nationals indicated that they’re unlikely to call up Opening Day second baseman Danny Espinosa from the minors when rosters expand in September and now Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that they’re “trying to trade” him.
Espinosa hit .158 in 44 games for the Nationals to earn the demotion and is hitting .208 with two homers and an awful 97/18 K/BB ratio in 70 games at Triple-A. That’s enough to make any player fall out of favor with an organization and the fact that rookie Anthony Rendon is now locked in as the starting second baseman makes it even less likely that Espinosa is part of the Nationals’ long-term plans.
Of course, teams probably aren’t lining up for a guy who’s looked as lost as Espinosa this season and there are also questions about the health of his shoulder. He’s making the minimum salary this season, is cheap enough to keep around in a part-time role next year, and is under team control through at least 2016, but Espinosa is a major reclamation project.
