While plenty of players just found new homes at the trade deadline, one former Toronto Blue Jays All-Star is simply hoping somebody picks him up at all.
The Texas Rangers released infielder Santiago Espinal this past week, just weeks after signing him to a minor league deal in July.
That release leaves Espinal looking to join his fourth organization in the past three years, hitting free agency during one of the busiest stretches of the entire season.
It wasn't long ago that Toronto looked like it had found a real gem in him. Acquired from Boston in the deal that sent Steve Pearce the other way, Espinal debuted with the Blue Jays during the shortened 2020 season.
The following two years were his real breakthrough. He posted a .311/.376/.405 line in 2021, then made his lone All-Star team in 2022, batting .267 with 51 runs, 25 doubles, seven home runs and 51 RBIs across 135 games.
Why things unraveled so quickly after leaving Toronto
His offensive struggles late in 2022 carried into 2023, and Toronto eventually dealt him to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season to resolve an infield logjam.
Two subpar seasons with the Reds followed, with his production declining significantly by 2025, before he landed a shot with the defending champion Dodgers to open this season.
That opportunity lasted just 36 games, with Espinal hitting .268 with a .651 OPS, five runs scored, one home run and seven RBIs in a bench role before getting designated for assignment in mid-June to make room for Tommy Edman's return.
Texas picked him up on a minor league deal after that, but he didn't make enough of an impression at Triple-A Round Rock to stick around.
It's a bit like watching a promising career slowly lose its footing, one modest opportunity after another failing to recapture the form that once made him an All-Star.
With so many contenders having sold off roster pieces at the deadline, real opportunities could be opening up for a player with Espinal's track record and versatility.
Does Espinal still have enough left to earn a real opportunity somewhere, or has his path back to a consistent big league role already closed?
Would you want to see the Blue Jays bring back Santiago Espinal for the rest of the season?
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