The Yankees have signed infielder Danny Espinosa to a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training, sources tell Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The club has not confirmed.
The 30-year-old Espinosa has played the majority of his career at second base, which is the spot he will be battling for with the Yankees. He has seen time all over the diamond, mainly in the infield, so he could provide some utility depth should he make the team.
According to a source, Danny Espinosa has agreed to a deal with the Yankees and will be a non-roster invitee at camp. He will compete for the second base job this spring.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 29, 2018
Sandwiched between eight game stints with Tampa Bay and Seattle, Espinosa spent 77 games with the Angels in 2017. He slashed .162/.237/.276 with six homers and 29 RBI. Across 295 total plate appearances, he managed just a .523 OPS while striking out 37% of the time.
In seven seasons with the Nationals, Espinosa never hit above .250. He did, however, manage two 20-plus home run seasons (2011 and ’16) while providing strong defense up the middle. According the FanGraphs, he has saved a total of 34 runs between shortstop and second base over the course of his eight years in the Majors. Unfortunately, his once saving grace was on the decline in 2017. He received a 2.6 defensive rating from FanGraphs, a career low, and finished a full win below replacement.
If the switch-hitter wants to prove to the Yankees he’s worth a contract, Espinosa will have to compete with Ronald Torreyes come Spring Training. With super-prospect Gleyber Torres on the cusp of the Bigs, don’t go buying an Espinosa jersey. He won’t be here that long.
