Nats Send Danny Espinosa To Angels

THE DEAL

After the Nationals acquired center fielder Adam Eaton from the White Sox in a Winter Meetings blockbuster, the writing was on the wall for Danny Espinosa.

With Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper already manning the corners and Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy up the middle, it was clear there was no room for Espinosa in Washington.

The Angels had a need at second base, and Espinosa made sense as a low-cost fit to pair with Andrelton Simmons up the middle. After failing to show up to Washington’s fan festival this weekend amid reports he was unhappy with his newly diminished role, it was clear that Espinosa needed a change of scenery. He’ll get just that with the Angels.

To acquire Espinosa, the Angels dealt a pair of 25-year-old righthanders in Kyle McGowin and Austin Adams. McGowin struggled at the upper levels this season and could wind up in the bullpen in the long term, and Adams is a hard-throwing reliever who needs to continue to harness his command.

With Espinosa out of the picture, the Nationals can turn to prospect Wilmer Difo as a utility player if they choose, or they can attempt to re-sign Stephen Drew.

NATIONALS ACQUIRE
Kyle McGowin, pos
Age: 25

McGowin was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 draft and has struggled through injury issues throughout his career. He split this past season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Salt Lake and went 9-14, 5.83 in the process. He pitched off a two-seam fastball in the low-90s and a slider in the low-80s, and mixed in a low-80s changeup that projects as average in the future. If the changeup doesn’t make the necessary strides, however, McGowin is likely to transition into a sinker-slider bullpen role. He’ll likely start his first year with Washington at Triple-A Syracuse.

2016 Club	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	HR	BB	SO	AVG
Arkansas (AAA)	3	2	4.56	5	5	25.2	22	4	9	32	.227
Salt Lake City (AAA)	6	12	6.11	22	22	116.1	144	16	46	98	.308

Austin Adams, rhp
Age: 25

Stuff has never been a problem for Adams, who was taken in the eighth round of the 2012 draft out of South Florida. He struck out more than 13 hitters per nine innings in 2016 and whiffed a total of 61 in 41.1 innings with Double-A Arkansas. He missed a month with fatigue but closed the season with six straight hitless innings. He has a plus fastball that sits in the mid-90s and touches 97 mph and a wipeout slider that grades as a plus pitch as well. To make the final leap Adams will need to iron out his command. He got better in that department this year, shaving his walks per nine innings from 7.7 in 2015 to 5.2 in 2016. If he can continue that trend he could find himself in a late-innings bullpen role. He, like McGowin, is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse. The Angels had added Adams to their 40-man roster this offseason.

2016 Club	W	L	ERA	G	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO	AVG
AZL Angels (R)	0	0	3.00	2	0	3	1	0	0	2	.100
Arkansas (AA)	0	1	3.12	31	4	40.1	28	2	24	59	.199

ANGELS ACQUIRE
Danny Espinosa, if
Age: 29

Although he played exclusively at shortstop this season with Washington, Espinosa will slide over the second base in Los Angeles in deference to the superior defensive player in Andrelton Simmons. Espinosa had a down season with the bat, though his 24 home runs were tied for fifth among shortstops. He played solid defense this season and made 98 out-of-zone plays this season, which tied him with Texas’ Elvis Andrus and placed him behind only Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. If he can continue this trend, he and Simmons have the potential to form a formidable defensive duo up the middle.