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Danny Espinosa | Second Baseman

Team: Washington Nationals
Age / DOB:  (26) / 4/25/1987
Ht / Wt:  6'0' / 204
Bats / Throws: Switch / Right
Contract: view contract details
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Recent News

Danny Espinosa will see time at both middle infield spots this spring in preparation for a possible utility role.
Espinosa's main goal this spring is to win the second base job, but if he loses out to Anthony Rendon he could still make the club as a utility infielder. Espinosa had a forgettable 2013 season in which he batted .158/.193/.272, but the 26-year-old has been better at the plate in previous years. He'll need a strong spring to have any fantasy relevance this year. Mar 1 - 4:56 PM
Source: Nationals.mlb.com

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Player News

Date:
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Nationals manager Matt Williams declared Sunday that there will be an "open competition" between Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa for the team's starting second base job.

It's unlikely that Espinosa will be able to supplant Rendon, but did show off his offensive ability in 2011 and 2012 where he slashed .242/.319/.408 with 38 homers, 122 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 318 games. Espinosa will also see time at shortstop and third base during the spring, and could still make the squad in a utility role.
Related: Anthony Rendon
Source: Natsinsider.com
Feb 16 - 6:54 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that "at least a dozen" teams have inquired on Danny Espinosa this offseason.

Plenty of clubs haven't looked to buy low on Espinosa after his disappointing 2013 campaign, but the Nationals don't appear to be selling. The 26-year-old will compete for the second base job in spring training but is expected to eventually slide into a utility role.
Source: Nationals.mlb.com
Feb 6 - 10:15 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

According to Andrew Simon of MLB.com, Danny Espinosa is in the best shape of his life and has been told he'll be given a chance to compete for the Nationals starting job at second base.

It's that time of the year again where fluff pieces run rampant and every player in the league is in their finest physical condition ever. It sounds as if it's simply a motivational tactic to get Espinosa to perform, as he's unlikely to unseat Anthony Rendon as the Nats starter at second base. He could conceivably win a bench spot though, and as always his power and speed combination has NL-only and mixed league value should he come into regular at-bats.
Source: Andrew Simon on Twitter
Jan 25 - 2:08 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington reports that the Nationals have "no intention" of trading Danny Espinosa.

The Nationals have draw interest in Espinosa, mostly notably from the Yankees, but they aren't interested in moving him with his value at its nadir. The 26-year-old really struggled while playing through injuries this past season, but he's expected to open 2014 as a utility infielder.
Source: Mark Zuckerman on Twitter
Tue, Dec 10, 2013 01:59:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that while the Nationals have received interest in infielder Danny Espinosa, especially from the Yankees, they remain reluctant to trade him.

With Anthony Rendon at second base and Ian Desmond at shortstop, Espinosa is relegated to a utility role in 2014. The 26-year-old struggled last season after being hit in the wrist with a pitch in April and was eventually demoted to the minors, but he figures to be a buy-low target.
Related: Yankees
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter
Tue, Dec 10, 2013 12:11:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Nationals are shopping infielder Danny Espinosa.

Espinosa struggled through injuries this past season, both in the majors and the minors. While his plate discipline is unlikely to improve, he could make for a decent buy-low opportunity. Anthony Rendon has emerged as the starting second baseman, so Espinosa will likely function as a utility infielder if he remains in Washington.
Source: Jeff Passan on Twitter
Mon, Dec 9, 2013 05:17:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the Nationals will give Danny Espinosa an opportunity to make the team as a reserve infielder in 2014.

After a breakout season in 2012 where he swatted 21 homers, Espinosa's poor plate discipline and free-swinging ways got the best of him in 2013, where he slashed a horrendous .158/.193/.272 with three homers, 12 RBI and a 47/4 K/BB ratio in 44 games before being demoted to Triple-A. While he's an excellent defender, unless he improves his approach and cuts down on the strikeouts, he's unlikely to help the Nationals or fantasy owners.
Related: Nationals
Source: MLB.com
Sun, Dec 8, 2013 09:54:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said this week that Danny Espinosa should be healthy at the start of 2014.

Espinosa tried to play through a torn rotator cuff in 2013 and experienced disastrous results, batting just .158/.193/.272 in 44 major league games and spending most of the summer at Triple-A. The expectation is that he'll bounce back to some degree next season. "Espinosa is checked out," said Rizzo. "His shoulder is healthy and he’s ready to commence his baseball activities to get ready for spring training."
Source: Washington Post
Thu, Nov 14, 2013 09:31:00 AM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

The Nationals elected not to promote Danny Espinosa when rosters expanded because they didn't want him to sit on the bench.

"I know he's got a lot of talent," Nats manager Davey Johnson said. "It would be nice to put him in to pinch-run and occasionally pinch-hit and provide some defense. He could do that. But it's so far down his role, that would be such a lesser role than what I've always envisioned for him while he's been here. So he could be more mad at me, because I did not want him here and not have him in the lineup. It's that simple." Actually it's not. What it is is a convenient excuse that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Triple-A Syracuse's season is over, so Johnson apparently thinks baseball fans will believe that it's more productive for a player to sit at home than on a big league bench. Washington has soured on Espinosa past any reasonable demarcation point. They will shop him heavily over the winter.
Source: Nats Insider
Wed, Sep 4, 2013 01:33:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Bill Ladson of MLB.com was told by a source that the Nationals are trying to trade Danny Espinosa.

The source also believes that Espinosa will not play another game for the Nationals this season. The 26-year-old struggled through wrist and shoulder injuries with the big club earlier this year and is hitting just .208/.271/.283 with two homers and 97 strikeouts through 292 plate appearances in Triple-A. Still, someone could take a chance and buy low. The 26-year-old will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.
Source: Nationals.mlb.com
Wed, Aug 28, 2013 01:28:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

The Nationals aren't planning to recall Danny Espinosa when rosters expand.

They simply don't think he's earned a promotion, and it's hard to argue given that he's hit only .202/.267/.277 over 238 minor league at-bats this season. "It’s also a reward system when you get called back up," manager Davey Johnson said. "It’s a reward on how you did down there, and he’s not doing the things I know he’s capable of doing." Espinosa is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and could wind up getting traded or non-tendered.
Source: Washington Times
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 08:03:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Danny Espinosa is batting .486 (17-for-35) over his last 10 games at Triple-A Syracuse.

He has four doubles, a triple and two home runs over that stretch. It was a much-needed turnaround, as Espinosa was in a tailspin at the dish before his recent hot streak. He's likely to be back up with the Nats later this season, but, barring injury, it will be as a utility player.
Sun, Jul 14, 2013 12:44:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Danny Espinosa is batting just .106 (5-for-47) with 29 strikeouts since his demotion to Triple-A Syracuse.

Yikes. Espinosa's wrist no longer appears to be an issue, but he's obviously lost at the plate right now and won't be recalled anytime soon. Anthony Rendon owners should be feeling quite comfortable that he'll remain the Nationals' everyday second baseman from here on out.
Related: Anthony Rendon
Source: Amanda Comack on Twitter
Wed, Jun 26, 2013 11:16:00 PM
Danny Espinosa - 2B - Nationals

Danny Espinosa started at shortstop on both Saturday and Sunday for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.

That is actually Espinosa's natural position -- he made the move to second base only when he was called up to the Nationals in 2010. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post suspects (and his insider sources agree) that Espinosa's defensive abilities are being showcased for a potential trade. Anthony Rendon is currently serving as Washington's starting second baseman.
Source: Washington Post
Mon, Jun 24, 2013 08:17:00 AM

Depth Charts

Batters
PosRoleName
C1Wilson Ramos
2Jose Lobaton
3Chris Snyder
4Jhonatan Solano
5Sandy Leon
1B1Adam LaRoche
2Tyler Moore
2B1Anthony Rendon
2Jamey Carroll
3Jeff Kobernus
4Will Rhymes
5Mike Fontenot
SS1Ian Desmond
2Zach Walters
3B1Ryan Zimmerman
LF1Bryce Harper
2Eury Perez
CF1Denard Span
RF1Jayson Werth
2Scott Hairston
3Steven Souza
Starting Pitcher
PosRoleName
S1Stephen Strasburg
2Gio Gonzalez
3Jordan Zimmermann
4Doug Fister
5Ross Detwiler
6Taylor Jordan
7Tanner Roark
8Ross Ohlendorf
9Chris Young
Relief Pitcher
PosRoleName
R1Rafael Soriano
2Tyler Clippard
3Craig Stammen
4Drew Storen
5Jerry Blevins
6Christian Garcia
7Ryan Mattheus
8Ross Ohlendorf
9Xavier Cedeno
10Erik Davis
11Aaron Barrett
12Luis Ayala
13Manny Delcarmen
14Michael Gonzalez