Royals sign shortstop Alcides Escobar

The Royals have signed veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar to a minor league deal and have assigned him to Triple-A Omaha. Escobar is an 11-year Major League veteran who played with the Royals from 2011 to 2018. He was an All-Star in 2015 and won his only Gold Glove that year. He was also named ALCS MVP after hitting .478 against the Blue Jays that fall. Escobar was renowned for his defense, and hit .258/.293/.343 in 5,702 Major League plate appearances.

After the Royals let him depart in free agency following the 2018 season, Escobar spent 2019 in Triple-A with the White Sox, where he hit .286/.343/.444 in 96 games. However he was released in August and ripped the team afterwards, accusing them of lying to him and not giving him a release earlier to pursue other opportunities. In 2020, Escobar played in Japan for the Yakult Swallows, hittin .273/.312/.329 in 104 games.

Now 34 years old, Escobar could provide more middle infield depth as the team waits for Adalberto Mondesi to recover from his oblique injury. Nicky Lopez has been filling in at shortstop, with Hanser Alberto the only backup on the roster. The Royals have already brought back Jarrod Dyson, Greg Holland and Wade Davis from their championship team, perhaps Ben Zobrist, Jeremy Guthrie, and Christian Colon are next?