MLB Trade Deadline: White Sox Talking Eduardo Escobar, Per Rumor

Trade rumor has Sox talking Eduardo Escobar with D-backs originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

As the injuries keep piling up for the Chicago White Sox, it might be time for Rick Hahn to start looking outside the organization for reinforcements.

While the general manager said within the last couple weeks that it's still a little early for big deals to be made ahead of the trade deadline at the end of next month, one rumor has already hit the internet.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday that the White Sox are talking with the Arizona Diamondbacks about Eduardo Escobar, a versatile infielder who played on the South Side a decade ago.

RELATED: Engel goes on IL, thinning Sox outfield ranks even further

Escobar, since leaving the White Sox in the 2012 deadline deal for pitcher Francisco Liriano, became a productive offensive player for the Minnesota Twins before moving to the desert in 2018. In his four years as a D-back, he owns a .254/.307/.462 slash line, highlighted by the .831 OPS he put up in 2019.

This season, some of Escobar's offensive numbers are down. He's hitting .240 with just a .288 on-base percentage, though he has hit 15 home runs in 70 games. Currently, he's being bothered by injury, removed from a game Sunday with quad tightness. He didn't play in the D-backs' game Monday night, out with a quad strain.

The D-backs are obvious sellers, only just snapping a 17-game losing streak and still owning a jaw-dropping 23-game losing streak in road games. They are dead last in the NL West, 26 games out of first place, with the worst record in baseball.

Escobar is just one of several intriguing players who might be considered by teams looking for upgrades. Outfielder David Peralta and the versatile star Ketel Marte come to mind, though with contracts running past the end of this season, the D-backs might be less inclined to part with those players. Escobar is set to hit free agency at the end of this season.

The White Sox could certainly use some reinforcements, especially at second base, where Nick Madrigal has been ruled out for the season after tearing his hamstring. Meanwhile, left fielder Eloy Jiménez and center fielder Luis Robert remain in recovery mode following their own significant injuries. The team is hopeful that both will return before the end of the season.

But the return dates for the two injured middle-of-the-order bats remain unknown, meaning the White Sox will need to continue chasing a championship without them for some time. That's where reinforcements would come in handy. While the team has seen great contributions from fill-ins to keep their World Series hopes afloat, the lineup is becoming increasingly reliant on bench players with the team down its top four outfielders and its starting second baseman at the moment.

Escobar might not be the kind of impact player that single-handedly jolts awake a lineup that was well handled by Houston Astros pitching during a four-game weekend sweep. But should his own health check out, he could be the kind of player who is part of a multi-pronged solution to the White Sox woes.

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