Dec 28 2008
Sky’s the limit for Escobar with Braves in 2009
By Bud L. Ellis
braves.today.com
ATLANTA — Perhaps the day will come when we’ll think about the offseason of 2008, recall how the Atlanta Braves were on the verge of a big trade for San Diego ace Jake Peavy, and we’ll sit back and exhale.
“Glad we didn’t trade Esco to the Pads,” perhaps we’ll say.
“Esco” is Yunel Escobar, the fiery young Atlanta shortstop who was front and center in the Peavy trade talks for the better part of six weeks. As you know, that deal fell through when San Diego GM Kevin Towers kept asking for more to be included from Atlanta’s end, like Turner Field, Underground Atlanta, and the Varsity, along with a stable of young Braves players.
Of that group, Escobar was the best of the bunch, and the reason Towers wanted the 26-year-old is so far in a season and a half in the bigs, Esco has hit .303 while displaying rancher-like range and a cannon for an arm.
He’s also shown he’s capable of losing his focus at the plate, the ability to boot routine grounders, and occasionally plays with a little too much cockiness. But the upside for this kid is so worth being patient while the Braves smooth the rough edges.
Escobar showed enough in filling in when Edgar Renteria went down with an ankle injury in August 2007 that the Braves traded the veteran Renteria a month after that season ended, getting Jair Jurrjens and Gorkys Hernandez in return from the Tigers. As the full-time starter at short in 2008, Escobar hit .288 with 10 homers, 24 doubles and 60 RBIs in 136 games.
Defensively, Escobar finished with 16 errors in 126 games, a .974 fielding percentage that figures to go up as he focuses on making the routine plays that from time to time get away from him. But on balls to his right or behind the bag at second, Esco is one of the better shortstops in the game. His range is far-reaching, and his arm – the second-strongest shortstop arm I’ve ever seen, behind former Cub Shawon Dunston – more than makes up for the occasional mental whiff on an easy grounder.
At the plate, Escobar was the most consistent Atlanta hitter behind Chipper Jones and Brian McCann. Throw out a shaky July when he hit .230, and Escobar didn’t have a month where he hit under .279. Still, there is work to be done at the dish, as Escobar would slip into bad habits of over-reaching for breaking balls for three or four games at a time.
And then, there is the swagger. On a few occasions last season, opposing teams felt like Escobar showed them up with a flip of the bat. He explains that’s the way he plays the game. At times, Esco’s flair and passion cross the line, but I think in time, you’ll see him learn how far he can push the envelope with his aggressiveness and not come off as arrogant.
This kid is going to be a star, though, and that’s saying something when you consider the quality of shortstops just in his own division (Jimmy Rollins at Philly, Jose Reyes in New York, Hanley Ramirez at Florida). Escobar figures to hit a few more homers as time goes by, and probably has more upside in the batting average department.
No way the Braves should think about trading him. If you recall, I was ready to send super-phenom pitcher Tommy Hanson to San Diego before sending Escobar. That’s how highly I think of a kid who is going to grow into a foundational piece of this franchise at shortstop for years to come.
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