Kuzul

Before we get to my subject for the article, we’re going to take a look at Rockies stud shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

In 2007, he broke out and put his name on the map by hitting .291/.359/.479, 24 home runs, and stealing 7 bases. He battled injuries and a nasty slump in 2008, playing just 101 games and managing a .263/.332/.401 line with eight homers and 46 RBI.

The next year, Tulowitzki got back on the map again, belting 32 home runs, swiping 20 bags, and hitting .297/.377/.552 with a .930 OPS.

Heading into the 2010 season, many wondered whether Tulowitzki was the injury prone clunker from 2008 or the super stud from 2007 and 2009.

With stand-out seasons in 2007, and 2009, the more savvy fantasy baseball owners decided he was the stud player, and in 2010 Tulo improved his slash line to .315/.381/.568 while blasting 27 long balls and driving in 95, providing the final answer as to whether 2008 or 2009 was an outlier in his stats.

Now let’s look to former Atlanta Brave and current Toronto Blue Jay Yunel Escobar.

Whether or not you bet on Escobar depends on one question: Who is Yunel Escobar? Is he the guy who hit .301 from 2007-2009, or the guy who it .256 in 2010?

In his only two seasons of 500+ at-bats, 2008 and 2009, Escobar hit an aggregate .294/.371/.418 with a .790 OPS, 24 homers, and 136 RBI. With 116 walks to 121 strikeouts, Escobar showed a great eye for the strike zone, and his young age (these were his age 25-26 seasons) and good glove guaranteed him airtight job security.

In 2010, Escobar got off to a slow start and wound up in manager Bobby Cox’s doghouse, and after performing miserably in the first two months he finally picked up the pace in June. After a much needed change of scenery, Escobar hit .275/.340/.356, bringing his season totals up to .256/.337/.318 with four home runs and 35 RBI.

Compare this to his career average of .289/.364/.397, 11 HR, and 64 RBI per season, and it’s not hard to spot to anomaly here. With a fresh start to be had with a potent Toronto lineup, expect Escobar to trend back towards his career norms in 2011, and at age 27, it is possible he might improve a little bit.

We all know playing in Toronto worked wonders for Alex Gonzalez’ and Jose Bautista’s power numbers last year, so who knows.

While Aaron Hill was brought up as a shortstop, concerns about his arm and defense led to a permanent shift to second base, and with John McDonald aboard as no more than a defensive fill in (he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat), Escobar has a very safe job with the Blue Jays even if he struggles out of the gate again.

However, the law of averages says that he probably won’t—that is unless Escobar’s 2008 and 2009 years end up being the flukes in his grand scheme of things. However, since extrapolation is not a reliable or beneficial method of procuring stats, I’m going to stick with Escobar’s existing track record instead of worrying about his prospects going forward.

For all practical purposes, this makes a great deal of sense, and if you don’t want to overpay for Alexei Ramirez at shortstop or don’t quite trust sleeper candidate Reid Brignac, then don’t be afraid to take a bet on Escobar bouncing back this year.

With his 223 ADP, he is a bargain in virtually all formats of fantasy baseball, but owners in AL-only leagues should especially keep an eye on him.

He should substantially outperform similarly or higher ranked shortstops Asdurbal Caberera (ADP: 220), Alcides Escobar (ADP: 203), and Starlin Castro (ADP: 163), so don’t worry if you miss out on getting an elite player for your shortstop hole.

Don’t overpay for one category guys like Erick Aybar or Elvis Andrus, and certainly don’t invest significantly in Derek Jeter or Jimmy Rollins. Instead, sit back and coast until the later rounds and fill the need with Escobar.

Just keep in mind, just like Tulowitzki before 2010, everyone will be torn on which guy they think Yunel Escobar is. Tulowitzki ended up proving his doubters wrong the past two seasons, and it’s a solid bet that Escobar answers the same concerns about his game with a solid bounce back this year as well.

As a bargain pickup in fantasy baseball drafts, why not take that bet?

2011 projected stats: .284 AVG, 10 HR, 54 RBI, 5 SB, 76 Runs

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When Alex Anthopoulos traded Alex Gonzalez to the Atlanta Braves for Yunel Escobar, the majority of Jays’ fans were fine with it. 

Gonzalez on average will give you 16 HR and 70 RBI.  Escobar on the other hand, had a great 2009; 14 HR, 76 RBI, .299 BA, .377 OBP.  Not bad for a third year player in only his second full season commanding the middle infield. 

Technically, not much difference when comparing the numbers, only that Anthopoulos traded for a much younger player, one whose skills and ability looked to be ready to blossom. 

Trouble is, Escobar seemed to regress in 2010. 

Escobar was playing in a pitchers park – Turner Field – while Gonzalez was in the friendly confines of the Rogers Centre.  Unfortunately, Escobar’s number pre-and-post trade were extremely underwhelming and beg one to ask why? 

The “shortstop of the future” showed signs of life when arriving in Toronto.  Case in point, Escobar’s slugging percentage jumped 72 percentage points.

Unfortunately that can be attributed to a hitter friendly park and pitchers that are not familiar with his abilities. 

The tell-tale sign of an unnoticed or quite possibly underlying issues was Escobar’s inability to produce; his 35 RBI’s weren’t even half of his 2009 total. 

It mystifies me that someone with all the attributes was unable to find a rhythm in an offense that led the majors in home runs and slugging. 

If this sounds familiar you’re right.  The underachieving tag has made its way to Jose Reyes, who, for whatever reason, has not quite lived up to the lofty expectations that we as fans paste on many. 

In the meantime, Reyes and Escobar are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  Reyes an established veteran at 28 entering his ninth MLB season, and never had the drop-off Escobar had.

Plus, for $9 million plus a season, no matter what Reyes does might not ever be good enough.   

Escobar’s salary is equivalent to approximately 4.5 percent of his National League counterpart. 

In layman’s terms; Yunel can get away with this for another year or two until the what if whispers become a reality.

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Alex Anthopolous took over the General Manager position of the Toronto Blue Jays on October 3, 2009 from the publicly ridiculed J.P. Ricciardi. 

He inherited a team in complete disarray; the Jays had failed to reach the postseason since 1993, the same year that they defeated the Phillies in the World Series. 

Anthopolous has plans to change that, and he plans for it to change sometime around 2012.

The Jays have made headlines since the hiring, due in large part to great free-agent signings and trades. 

Anthopolous began his flurry of transactions in November 2009 with the resigning of the sure-handed John McDonald. 

The next day, he signed veteran shortstop Alex Gonzalez.  Gonzalez proved to be worth more to the team later on in the season when the trade deadline was approaching.

In December, Anthopolous began to restock a depleted farm system.  He pulled off a major blockbuster, sending ace Roy Halladay to Philadelphia for three top prospects in catcher Travis d’Arnaud, right hander Kyle Drabek, and outfielder Michael Taylor. 

Taylor was then sent to Oakland for highly touted third base prospect Brett Wallace.  Wallace was later sent to the Astros for outfielder Anthony Gose. 

To cap off a busy day for Anthopolous, he signed veteran backstop John Buck to a one-year deal.

This was just the beginning, however. 

Later on in the month, the Jays sent fireballing reliever Brandon League to the Seattle Mariners for another fireballer, Brandon Morrow.  Morrow, although inconsistent, gave the Jays another young arm to add to their already young staff. 

After a quiet January, Anthopolous brought in veteran reliever Kevin Gregg to close games.  This capped off a busy first offseason for Anthopolous.

Early on in the 2010 season, Anthopolous signed Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria to a four-year, $10-million contract.  Hechavarria figures to be a large part of the Jays’ potential successes in 2012. 

Anthopolous acquired Fred Lewis from San Francisco a few days later.  Lewis became a spark plug at the top of the Jays lineup. 

He hit a modest .262 in 2010, with 8 homers, 36 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.  Toronto chose to let him walk after the season, however, allowing him to sign with the Cincinnati Reds.

In July, Alex Gonzalez proved his true worth to Toronto.  He was sent to Atlanta for right hander Jo-Jo Reyes and shortstop Yunel Escobar. 

Escobar seemed to be wearing his welcome out in Atlanta, and Anthopolous took advantage of this by trading for him while his value was relatively low.  The youth movement in Toronto was continuing to take shape.

Anthopolous began his second offseason by acquiring catcher Miguel Olivo from Colorado and outfielder Rajai Davis from Oakland. 

Anthopolous completed two trades with the Brewers in as many days, first acquiring Carlos Villanueva in exchange for a player to be named later, and then trading ace Shaun Marcum for highly touted prospect Brett Lawrie.

2011 began with the low-risk, high-reward signing of relievers Octavio Dotel and Chad Cordero.  But, Anthopolous’ made his most genius move to date a little over a week ago. 

Anthopolous traded the highly overpaid and notorious free swinger Vernon Wells to the Angels for catcher Mike Napoli, a free swinger in his own right, and outfielder Juan Rivera.  Nobody is quite sure how he managed to unload such a contract, but he did it.

Napoli has since been shipped to Texas for reliever Frank Francisco.  Although many will say that Napoli would have had more value to Toronto than Francisco does, we have to remember:

Anthopolous essentially received Francisco and Rivera for Wells, a player who was holding the team back from spending big on free agents.  The money freed up by trading Wells will only help Anthopolous reach his goal.

The Jays figure to contend in the near future when prospects like Drabek, number 12 on MLB.com’s list of the Top 50 prospects, Gose, Hechavarria, and Lawrie, number 28 on the list, hit the majors. 

Without the genius of Alex Anthopolous, the Jays would not be in the position they are today, a position that has Jays fans waiting anxiously for 2012.   

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Eric Chavez is nowhere near the player he was in his heyday with the Oakland Athletics, but this former Gold Glover from Cali could add the “intangibles” to a young Toronto Blue Jays infield. 

Reports are surfacing that Chavez has been working out in Arizona and his health appears to be as good as it has been in years. 

I have my doubts that Chavez would be willing to become a Jay in what would obviously be a limited role, yet his experience and knowledge is something every player in their infield could benefit from, especially the newbies joining the club in spring training. 

Third base is obviously up for grabs.  The question remains whether the job is Edwin Encarnacion’s to lose or if he will be splitting time with Jose Bautista. 

The hot corner is another spot that will eventually become home for Yunel Escobar, Aaron Hill or Brett Lawrie. 

Out of those three, Escobar is the player most likely to remain at his position.  The inclusion of Lawrie is quite possibly the first sign of Hill’s departure from second base. 

Encarnacion is never going to be the club’s everyday corner-man.  In my estimation, he is taking the hand he was dealt and running with it.  If Lawrie is as good as he says he is, his bat will propel him into the starting lineup regardless of the problems his glove could produce. 

If Hill can regain his 30-homerun swing from two seasons ago, there is nothing stopping him from manning third while Lawrie hones his craft. 

This is exactly where Chavez comes in.  What better person to tutor a young infield that will showcase a new first baseman in Adam Lind?

Every player one day will realize his best years are behind him, and no matter how much strength Chavez has regained in his back and shoulder, his new role will be that of a teacher to his younger mates. 

If indeed Chavez becomes a viable option for the Jays, his contract, one that was paying him in the tens of millions, will obviously (I hope drastically) be reduced to fit the role he is expected to play. 

To all the Jays fans, Chavez in a Jay’s uniform does fit, and the old-school Ryan Klesko/Jason Giambi drop-and-lift swing seems mighty inviting for short porch located at 1 Blue Jays Way.

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The American League Gold Glove awards were announced on Tuesday and there were some old standards and a couple newer ones.  Ichiro Suzuki, that ever-consistent star for the Seattle Mariners, won his 10th Gold Glove award for his outfield prowess.

Sure to spark debate is Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees winning his fifth Gold Glove for his work in the 2010 season.  

It is often argued by followers of advanced baseball statistics that not only is Jeter not the top defensive shortstop, he is not even in the top echelon anymore.

This, of course, would be disputed by his teammates and various coaches and general managers who have seen him perform over the years, as he is held in the highest regard for both his play and his leadership.

But respecting his game and his historical contributions is one thing, and giving him the honour of the winning the top defensive prize is quite something else.

Granted, his traditional fielding statistics are impressive.  His six allowed errors were lowest among shortstops in the league and his .989 fielding percentage led the league as well.

As baseball acquires more and more statistics in the age of sabermetrics, it is argued that these prior categories don’t properly reflect a fielder’s prowess.  

It is argued that even though Jeter committed fewer errors than anyone else, it is only because his range didn’t allow him to get to balls that other shortstops might have made a play on.

So if you were to nominate another shortstop to win in his stead, why not Yunel Escobar, the acrobatic new fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays?  His plays regularly made the highlight reels of sports shows across North America.

His errors committed and fielding percentage are average, but he led the league, along with former Blue Jay Alex Gonzalez, in double plays with 104.

Also, likely the most important of the new stats that have emerged is the UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), which is a complicated calculation that basically determines the fielder’s effectiveness.  

With a 4.3 rating, Escobar is in the top third of shortstops in the league while Jeter, with a -4.7 rating, ranks in the bottom third.

So if you were to compare Jeter to Escobar, you could make the case that Escobar deserves the Gold Glove just as much as Jeter.

Many sports commentators have argued though that Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox actually deserved the Gold Glove.  His stats in sabermetrics are right at the top of the leaderboard, as are his ratings in scouting.

But it is his average traditional stats that drag him down and out of consideration for the award, which causes some to question the integrity of the award.

As Jeter enters next year at 36 years old, he will have plenty of challengers to his title. Whether he can maintain his status remains to be seen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When the Blue Jays started the season, it came as a bit of a surprise that the manager Cito Gaston projected that the Jays lineup would live and die by the home run. 

Gaston suggested that his lineup was packed full of potential 20 home run hitters.

“Bautista has a chance to hit maybe 20-25 home runs because he’s done it before,” Gaston said. “Then, of course, you’ve got Hill, you’ve got Lind and Vernon who hit 20 home runs the year before.

“Then you’ve got (Lyle) Overbay you hope can hit you 20 and you have (Edwin) Encarnacion; he might hit 20. “You’re talking about the first six hitters. If (Travis) Snider makes the club, he might do it, too. I think this club right now, the strength is the hitters.”

After all, Adam Lind and Aaron Hill were the only two hitters to surpass the twenty home run mark last year, with 35 and 36 respectively. 

Now that September has arrived, those numbers and projections no longer look so outlandish.  The Blue Jays lead the majors in home runs by a landslide, with 208, the next closest team the Boston Red Sox with 178. 

So how close are those projections so far?

Begin Slideshow

Change is in the air here in Toronto.  It seems that most of the city’s sports teams are in the midst of an overhaul.  The Raptors are transitioning into the new era without Chris Bosh.  Brian Burke continues his push with the Maple Leafs in hopes that they can make the playoffs, acquiring Kris Versteeg and Colby Armstrong this offseason. 

Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos also continues to put his impressive stamp on the Toronto Blue Jays.

When he was appointed the new general manager this past offseason, he quickly signed several veterans to help defensively and guide the young pitching staff.  He made a pledge to put a greater emphasis on scouting and player development. 

Anthopolous then proceeded to make good on his promise, increasing not only the staff, but the range covered by those scouts.

This concept might have all been in vain had the Jays organization not put up the cash to sign international prospects.  In past years, they have either not pursued the free agents or they continually lost bidding wars to the Yankees or Red Sox.

Surprisingly, the Jays have been very active in the pursuit, successfully signing some highly coveted young players. 

The Blue Jays beat out the Yankees earlier in the year to sign 21-year-old Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria to a four-year, $10 million contract.  Since it should be a few years before the prospect is ready for the big leagues, Anthopoulos traded veteran Alex Gonzalez to the Atlanta Braves for Yunel Escobar. 

At 27 years old, Escobar provides a better bridge to Hecheverria. He has a career .291 average and a .368 on-base percentage and he could provide an important small-ball component on a team of sluggers. 

Since the Jays are currently 27th overall in both batting average and hits, their one-dimensional offense needs the abilities of Escobar in the lineup.  Though Yunel Escobar has been struggling this year with Atlanta, he has already shown signs of breaking out of the slump on the Blue Jays.

The Jays GM continues to put his scouts to good use with the signing of two 16-year-old prospects from Venezuela.  Adonis Cardona is a 6’4″ 180lb. right-handed pitcher and Gabriel Cenas, a 6’1″ 175 lb. third baseman; both will begin their professional career playing in the Dominican Summer League for the Blue Jays. 

Anthopolous has already shown, in his short tenure with the Blue Jays, that he has a strong eye for talent and will take every opportunity to improve the team immediately and in the future.  His trade of Brandon League for Brandon Morrow has worked out immensely well so far for the Jays, adding to a young core of starters. 

The catching tandem of Jose Molina and John Buck that he signed have proved to be great advisers to that young pitching staff.  Plus, one of his biggest moves was a simple trade with the San Francisco Giants for Fred Lewis, what seemed like a depth move at first.

When the Jays started the season with Jose Bautista leading off, it was quite obvious that he wasn’t quite suited for the role, and he struggled trying to adapt his game to the leadoff position. 

So when Fred Lewis became available to the Jays, Anthopoulos saw the opportunity to acquire a player that could provide what the Jays lacked.  Of course, it is unlikely even the GM foresaw how well Lewis would slot into the lead-off position and earn a starter position with the Blue Jays.  Lewis now leads the team in two categories with a .281 average and 10 stolen bases, as well as second among the starters in OBP with .343. 

Not to mention that once Bautista was moved into a spot in the order where his style would be more effective, he began to put up career numbers.  Bautista currently leads the league with 25 home runs, and is the Blue Jays leader in RBI and runs, with 58 and 57 respectively.

With the MLB trade deadline coming up, it is quite possible that Anthopoulos will be working the phones once again.  With the competition always at the highest in the American League East, the Jays GM knows that he has to take every opportunity to improve his team if he wants to contend.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Stop me if this sounds familiar. A mid-20s middle infielder loses the faith of the Atlanta Braves organization and is sent packing, making him a classic change of scenery guy.

Yup, I will call this Yunel Escobar trade “Kelly Johnson Part 2.” Now of course the biggest difference between Escobar and Johnson is that Johnson left as a free agent after he wasn’t tendered a contract. With Escobar, the Braves got something in return.

Escobar is headed north of the border.

Yesterday, the Braves traded Escobar and LHP Jo-Jo Reyes to the Toronto Blue Jays for SS Alex Gonzalez, LHP Tim Collins, and INF Tyler Pastornicky. How fast do you think Blue Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos pulled the trigger on this trade? 15 seconds? 20 seconds?

I understand Escobar can be maddening for a manager and is having a down year (.238 with zero HR’s in 261 AB’s), but I can’t believe the Braves gave up on him this quickly. Did they learn nothing from letting Johnson go?

Escobar is under the Blue Jays’ control for another three years and will move right into the starting SS spot in Toronto. My gut tells me that Escobar will have a solid second half for the Jays and will have a 2011 that resembles his 2009 season (.299 with 14 HR and a .377 OBP).

The Jays also received Reyes in this deal. He is still only 25 and can be turned into a serviceable LHP at the major league level with the right coaching.

This trade represented the best case scenario for the Blue Jays in the offseason. Sign Gonzalez to a pretty affordable contract ($2.75 million), watch him have a career first half, and then trade him to get max value.

The Braves made this trade because they were clearly tired of Escobar and are in win now mode. Gonzalez hit 17 HR in the first half, which was four more than any other SS in baseball. The Braves are hoping he carries his hot first half over into the second half.

Defensively, the Braves don’t lose much on this deal, as Gonzalez has been, and continues to be, one of the better defensive shortstops in the game. I watched him on a pretty consistent basis last year with the Boston Red Sox and he is pretty slick with the glove.

The Braves also received INF Tyler Pastornicky in the trade. Pastornicky is 20 years old and was the Blue Jays’ fifth round pick in the 2008 draft. He was hitting .258 with six home runs in 287 AB for High-A Dunedin this year. He could be the Braves’ starting SS in four to five years.

Tim Collins is a 155 lbs. left-handed pitcher who has whiffed 73 in 43 innings for Double-A New Hampshire this season. He projects as a middle relief pitcher for the Braves.

For me, the Blue Jays got the better of this trade on paper. Even if the Braves are in win now mode, I just can’t see Gonzalez putting up anywhere close to the numbers he did in the first half.

Good trade for the Blue Jays.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I’ve been on record as saying that I’m a Yunel sympathizer.

I’ve lauded his talent and said that his occasional lapses are just part of an incredible, high-upside, (overall) well-rounded Major League shortstop.

But you know what?

When I got this text from my friend: “Did you see that trade?”, and shimmied my way over to MLB Trade Rumors to be greeted by “Blue Jays Acquire Yunel Escobar…” I wasn’t nearly as torn up and angry as I would I have anticipated myself being when I started bracing for this news about a month ago.

And I think that’s because I’m as fed up with the Cuban import as some of his teammates are.

By selling low on the 27-year-old ball of talent, Frank Wren and the Braves got a guy in Alex Gonzalez that has an OBP of .296 in a career year (I’m being pessimistic with the stats for dramatic effect; his 17 homers and 25 doubles are pretty legit), a 5’7″, 20-year-old left-hander that’s striking out dudes at an incredible rate (15.3 K/9), and a burner from the middle of the infield that has a last name that’s almost impossible to spell (P-A-S-T-O-R-N-I-C-K-Y).

Oh, and in addition by subtraction, the Blue Jays (begrudgingly, I’d imagine) took on the dude that Jonny Venters ran out of town (Jo-Jo Reyes).

Honestly, considering the attitude and attempt to rip Troy Glaus’ hand off, that’s a pretty good haul for a guy that Bobby Cox hates  (especially the whole Reyes part…that makes me giggle like a school girl).

Sure, Yunel has been unsustainably cold this year (posting a BABIP 46 points below his career mark of .316) and has shown that he is, when he’s clicking on all cylinders, one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball.

But, even though other Braves need some “adjustments” at times (see Brian McCann’s audible F-bombs after each strikeout), his place in an organization that prides itself on class both on and off the diamond seemed to be nonexistent.

Given time to reflect on his antics (now that he’s an “enemy”), it seems that it was less of Yunel “hating to lose ” (it’s one of two from July 10) and more of him being “hardheaded.”

The time came where his .812 OPS from 2009 (when he was the Braves’ MVP) simply couldn’t outweigh his protruding bottom lip when something didn’t exactly fall his way.

So long Yunel…I still love ya (in a man-crush manner) and wish you the best of luck with Cito Gaston’s Jays.

I’m just sort of glad now that your antics (which were once enjoyable) have moved on to another franchise.

Your a helluva talent…let’s just hope this wake-up call gets your career back to the All-Star status it once promised.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Atlanta Braves have traded SS Yunel Escobar and P Jo-Jo Reyes to the Toronto Blue Jays for SS Alex Gonzalez, P Tim Collins, and SS Tyler Pastornicky

The Braves
Alex Gonzalez offers more power potential than Escobar, though you have to wonder if he is in for a second half regression. He’s already hit 17 HR, third most of his career (his career high is 23, set in 2004). His power has been equal both at home (eight) and on the road (nine), so the ballpark isn’t cause for concern.

It’s the HR/FB (12.9%) and fly ball rate (49.8%), which are worrisome. The HR/FB is a career high since 2002. The FB% is only the second time he’s been above 48 percent over the same span. If both the fly balls and HR/FB fall, his power could plummet.

Gonzalez saw significant time in the second spot for the Blue Jays (106 AB), something that’s not likely in Atlanta. More likely he’ll be hitting sixth or seventh, with the pitcher and Melky Cabrera hitting behind him. That’s going to impact his runs scored potential, so keep that in mind.

He’s a career .248 hitter, so no one is buying him for his average.

The bottom line is that the skepticism is more a general regression as opposed to the trade. He’s not a player I’d be looking to buy.

The other two players they acquired are not going to make a fantasy impact in 2011.

The Blue Jays
Like Gonzalez, the optimism for Escobar has more to do with the numbers then the deal itself, though joining a higher-powered offense certainly doesn’t hurt. While he doesn’t have much power or speed, he’s no .238 hitter. His BABIP of .270 is significantly below his career mark of .316, so look for him to rebound there.

As I said earlier, he doesn’t have much power, but he’s got some. Without a home run yet, you’d expect him to hit a few. Joining an offense that has sent the ball flying all year long, you can bet that he’s going to hit at least a few from this point forward.

He walks plenty, so as his average improves and he gets a boost from joining a deeper offense, the runs should follow. He also should pick up more RBI, meaning overall, he appears a great buy low candidate.

As for Reyes, he’s likely no more than a relief pitcher for the Blue Jays given their rotation depth.

Conclusion
I have Escobar as being the big winner from a fantasy perspective, though he was a solid buy low candidate regardless. What about you? Who do you think the winner of the deal is?

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com