The Washington Nationals have been making more noise in the trade market as rumors have swirled of their interest of moving second baseman Danny Espinosa.
Espinosa brings power and defense to the table. His biggest weakness is his inability to make contact as he struckout 189 times in 2012 and 166 in 2011.
However, Espinosa's ability to hit the long ball makes him a rare species at the second base position. He ranked 7th in the majors among second basemen in homers.
He hit 17 long balls in 2012 and had 21 in 2011 during his first full season of baseball where he played 158 games.
Espinosa, 25, is durable and great up the middle with the leather. He can also play shortstop if needed as he started 34 games in 2012.
Who Needs Help at 2B?
The Tampa Bay Rays can be a possible destination for the second baseman. They have a farm system full of talent and can spare a player or two if they are interested.
Last season, the Rays had four guys play at second base. Jeff Keppinger, Elliot Johnson Will Rhymes and Brooks Conrad shared the duties.
These four guys combined to hit 18 home runs in the season, just one more than Espinosa.
Because of his heavy strikeout total, having Espinosa bat at the top of the lineup doesn't really make sense since you want contact and guys who get on base. However, Espinosa has speed, recording 20 stolen bases in 2012 and can be a good guy to place around Evan Longoria in that batting order.
Who Replaces Espinosa?
The Nationals were really impressed with Steve Lombardozzi's production this past season. He is a utility man who can play left field and started 43 games at second base in 2012.
He might not provided the same pop as Esponisa, but he does provide more contact and a higher batting average at .273. With guys like Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse, the Nationals don't really need high slugging numbers from their second baseman, they just need guys to get on base.
