Are the White Sox Looking to Trade for Eduardo Escobar?

Yesterday, reports came out that the White Sox were looking into a trade for Diamondbacks infielder Eduardo Escobar. After losing 2nd baseman Nick Madrigal, the Sox are looking for some infield help, but does this make sense for them? Does it make sense for the Diamondbacks? And what might Chicago have to give up?

The White Sox Situation:

The White Sox are having a fantastic season. At 43-29, the team is two games ahead of Cleveland for the top spot in the AL Central. All this despite losing two of their three young players for significant time. Madrigal is out for the season. Centerfielder Luis Robert has only played 25 games for the club, and Eloy Jimenez has been out since Spring Training, though he has recently been cleared for baseball activities. Even veteran Billy Hamilton, who the team signed due to the injuries to Robert and Jimenez, is currently on the injured list. Despite this, the team has found wild success and looks to be a real threat in the AL.

In losing Madrigal, though, the team has a lost a strong on base presence. Despite hitting just 2 home runs, he was rocking a .305/.349/.425 slash line prior to his injury. His replacements, Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick, have not been so good, especially Mendick. Escobar has a stronger track record and is much more of a power threat than any of the White Sox options at 2nd.

The Diamondbacks Situation:

The Diamondbacks are, to put it mildly, not good. They have the worst record in the AL and before their win last night had a 17 game losing streak. They have to consider their season lost at this point. That means getting the most value they can from their current assets, so we should be seeing a lot of trades in the next month before the deadline passes. Of particular note is Escobar, Ketel Marte, and David Peralta (and possibly Christian Walker as well, despite his horrid season).

Eduardo Escobar’s Situation:

In terms of WAR, Escobar is 3rd on the Diamondbacks at 1.2 (the top two are Carson Kelly, who is young enough for the D-Backs to keep him, and Asdrúbal Cabrera, who has proved in the last few seasons he still has something in the tank, though I’m not sure how big his trade value is). He’s essentially split time between third and second this season, and his defense has been less than stellar but has been better at 2nd than at 3rd. It seems like he would be a great fit at 2nd for the White Sox this season, especially as he would be moving from the worst team in the league to one of the best. I wouldn’t be surprised if his offense improves even more on a better team.

Conclusion:

This trade has the potential to be a win-win for both the White Sox and the Diamondbacks. The D-Backs might not be able to get a ton of value for Escobar, but they should be able to get a few intriguing pieces while they retool their farm system and prepare to compete a few years down the line (probably after the Dodgers and Padres windows close some). The White Sox should be able to get a plug and play option this year without much of a problem, and he would be off the books next year when Madrigal returns.

– Pat Shuman (@PShu1996 on Twitter) Check out my other articles here!