The Nationals on Saturday traded infielder Danny Espinosa to the Angels in exchange for minor-league right-handers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin.
Espinosa, 29, batted .209/.306/.378 (81 OPS+) in 157 games last season while holding down shortstop for the NL East champs. For his career, he owns an OPS+ of 86 across parts of six big-league seasons.
The recent trade for Adam Eaton, which pushed Trea Turner back to his original position of shortstop, meant that Espinosa was out of a starting job in D.C. According to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post, the likely return to a bench role prompted Espinosa to skip the Nationals Winterfest, the team's offseason fan fest, out of anger. That same weekend, Espinosa was shipped off to Anaheim.
With the Angels, Espinosa figures to take over as the starting second baseman and form a capable double-play tandem with standout defensive shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Espinosa is eligible for arbitration heading into the 2017 season and next winter will be a free agent.
On the Nats' side of things, Adams, 25, owns an ERA of 3.75 and a K/BB ratio of 1.80 in 166 minor-league games, all relief appearances. He's pitched as high as the Triple-A level, and last month the Angels added him to the 40-man roster. McGowin, also 25, pitched in 75 minor-league games (67 starts) with a 4.77 ERA and a 2.52 K/BB ratio. He spent part of 2016 at Triple-A.
