5 Reasons Eduardo Escobar Should be the Starting Shortstop
5 Reasons Eduardo Escobar Should be the Starting Shortstop
When Pedro Florimon came away with the starting job at shortstop for the Minnesota Twins out of spring training, expectations weren’t exactly set very high. Florimon was selected off of waivers by the Twins in December of 2011 after being let go by the Baltimore Orioles. Over his tenure with the Twins, Florimon has been known for his solid skills defensively and his shortcomings offensively. The Twins have never really had a solid shortstop since J.J. Hardy or Cristian Guzman and it has been a revolving door of below average replacements ever since. Florimon is the latest player to attempt to stabilize the position and stake his claim to an everyday starting job in the majors and so far, returns haven’t been overly impressive or unimpressive. Fear not Twins’ fans, a more legitimate and productive option already exists on the roster for the Twins to replace Florimon and his name is Eduardo Escobar. Escobar was acquired in the Francisco Liriano trade last season with the Chicago White Sox and has been used so far as a utility infielder and late-inning replacement with the Twins. While Escobar may not be the long-term answer at shortstop for the Twins either, his early performances in 2013 have indicated that he certainly is more qualified to play than Florimon and deserves a chance to play on an everyday basis. The future shortstop for the Twins likely is still in the minors and that is Danny Santana, however Santana is a few years away from locking down the starting job and so the focus must remain on the present and Escobar is the best option. Why is Escobar a better option than Florimon? I have compiled a list of five reasons that shows Escobar should starting shortstop for the Twins. Read on to find out why.
5. Defensive Efficiency
While Florimon may make more extraordinary plays and have a stronger arm, Escobar provides more stability and efficiency defensively. Florimon has committed three errors this season and sports a .953 fielding percentage over 10 games. Escobar, on the other hand, has committed zero errors and sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage over seven games, three of which were starts at shortstop. Granted Florimon has had more opportunities than Escobar, so he would naturally have more chances at errors, but Escobar seems to be more sure-handed than Florimon in an area that Florimon is supposed to excel at.
4. Forces Twins to Add Better Bench Player
While this isn’t a knock against anything that Florimon is or did, but allowing Escobar to start would force the Twins to add a significant bat off the bench for late inning pinch-hitting situations. Currently, the Twins lean on Wilkin Ramirez or Escobar as their pinch-hitting options with Jamey Carroll or Escobar serving as defensive replacements as well. While Carroll deserves more playing time, his role would remain unchanged with the demotion of Florimon in favor of Escobar; however, if Escobar were to be a starter, the Twins would need someone to fill his role. This would force them to go out and sign or promote a hitter to serve as a pinch-hitter, which would immensely improve their roster. A corresponding roster move would have to be made, but a pitcher could be demoted to accommodate this necessity.
3. Clutch Factor
While it may only be a small sample size, Escobar seems to have the clutch factor in him that Florimon doesn’t appear to have. In all fairness to Florimon, every time he is placed in a position where he could come up with a big hit, he normally is pinch-hit for in favor of someone else. In which case, he has no chance to prove himself as being a clutch performer. Maybe the Twins already know that he cannot become one and are making corresponding moves to help them win games. Escobar, on the other hand, has proven this season that he can come up with big hits like his game-winning hit against the Detroit Tigers in the opening series of the season. With all that being said, Escobar in the lineup would allow the Twins to save a pinch-hitter for another opportunity late in games because he has proven he can perform under pressure.
2. Offensive Ability
If you look at the pure statistics of Florimon and Escobar offensively so far in 2013 and over their careers, there isn’t a lot of difference. However if you look at the eye test of which player looks most comfortable and able at the plate, Escobar wins the competition hands down in my opinion. This year, Escobar is hitting. 412 with seven hits and five RBI over 17 at-bats, while Florimon is hitting .348 with eight hits over 23 at-bats. While the numbers may not jump out at you as being much different, Escobar has more of an accomplished ability to hit consistently than Florimon and if given the opportunity, could distance himself in the comparison.
1. Potential Long-Term
Although Florimon is younger by two years, 24, compared to Escobar, 26, Escobar still possesses the more long-term value to the franchise. Escobar has proven this year that he can be a valuable bench player as a late-inning replacement or pinch-hitter. Florimon hasn’t proven much of anything so far this season and hasn’t been put in situations that test his skill set. With that being said, Escobar could provide enough flexibility on the roster that he would be valuable to the Twins whenever the next shortstop is promoted to the majors. Escobar could then slide into Carroll’s role, while Florimon would struggle to carve out any role with the team. With that in mind, why not let Escobar get playing time now on a team that isn’t supposed to contend? This would prepare him to be a more valuable contributor on a team that is more capable of winning a few years down the line.
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