Nationals' Danny Espinosa: Avoids arbitration with Nationals
Espinosa (hamstring) agreed to a one-year, $2.875 million deal with the Nationals on Friday, avoiding arbitration, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports.
It seems that Espinosa is the favorite to open the season as the Nationals' starting shortstop (he will qualify at second base). However, the expectation is that Trea Turner will be up to challenge him for at-bats at some point in the first half of the season, meaning Espinosa could spend the majority of the year as a utility infielder. When he is starting, Espinosa figures to hit near the bottom of the Nationals' lineup, so there are plenty of reasons to look elsewhere to fill a middle infield spot in mixed leagues. Espinosa should be fully recovered from a hamstring injury that ailed him at the end of 2015 by the start of spring training.
