Royals rumors: Kansas City ‘likely’ to re-sign Alcides Escobar

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Royals are “likely” to re-sign veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar after the season. Escobar has hit poorly this season, slashing .183/.220/.250 in 104 at bats. The 31-year old has spent seven of his 10 major league seasons with the Royals, and could provide value as a veteran presence in the clubhouse and as a mentor to shortstop prospect Raul Mondesi Jr.

Escobar does provide a significant amount of defensive value to the team, much like Mondesi, and it’s possible that the Royals want to keep him around in a mentorship like role to the young prospect. Mondesi himself struggled mightily to begin the season, collecting just four hits in 39 at-bats before being demoted to Triple-A.

Despite a poor start to the 2017 season, Escobar has been a somewhat reliable and consistent player for the Royals, stealing 148 bases and hitting a passable .264/.297/.346 line over his previous six seasons with the team while providing excellent defensive value.

The Royals themselves are off to a horrific start, with a 10-20 record landing them in fifth-place in the AL Central. A disappointing season will probably lead to a sell-off of pending free-agents like Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, and Joakim Soria closer to the deadline. It seems Escobar might not be among that crowd, although it is unlikely that he would get much in return.