"Be better than last season. Way better than last season. They already have a family here, and the question that I asked myself: 'How can I add to this team, to a back-to-back championship, as a baseball player?' That's something that I've been working on every day, and something that I will keep working on 'til the end of the season."
"Espinal has never been known for his bat as he hit just .243/.292/.282 in 114 games with the Cincinnati Reds last season. Outside of a productive two-year stretch in Toronto, Espinal owns a career wRC+ of just 85 - 15 points lower than league average."
"However, he does provide great versatility with experience at every position except center field and catcher. Espinal has primarily played third base this spring, making appearances at second base and first base as well."
Santiago Espinal signed a Minor League contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and earned an invitation to Spring Training. The 31-year-old has impressed in eight Cactus League games, batting 10-for-17 with two doubles, two home runs, and nine RBI. His right-handed bat addresses a roster gap created when Andy Ibáñez was claimed by the Athletics. Despite a weak 2024 season with Cincinnati and a career below-average wRC+ of 85, Espinal provides significant versatility, having played every position except center field and catcher. Manager Dave Roberts indicated Espinal would likely make the Opening Day roster. Espinal aims to improve substantially from his previous season while contributing meaningfully to a back-to-back World Series championship team.
#mlb-spring-training #los-angeles-dodgers #santiago-espinal #roster-competition #defensive-versatility
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