Edwin José Escobar (born April 22, 1992) is a Venezuelan

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

for the

Yokohama DeNA BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japan, Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its c ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

and

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

and for the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a ...

(NPB).

Career

Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers signed Escobar as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2008. He made his professional debut with the

AZL Rangers The Arizona Complex League Rangers are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Texas Rangers, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona. The team is composed ...

in 2009, logging a 2-5 record and 5.00 ERA in 13 games.

San Francisco Giants

On April 1, 2010, Escobar was traded to the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

in exchange for minor leaguer Ben Snyder. He spent the season with the Low-A

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a baseball team located in Keizer, Oregon, who are charter members of the Mavericks Independent Baseball League, a four-team league entirely based in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area and playing all their home ...

, pitching to a 2-4 record and 4.86 ERA in 14 games. The next year, Escobar split the season between the

AZL Giants The Arizona Complex League Giants are a professional baseball team competing as a Rookie-level affiliate of the San Francisco Giants in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Scottsdale Stadium in Sc ...

and the Single-A

Augusta GreenJackets The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, which opened in April 2018. They previous ...

, accumulating a 3-7 record and 6.58 ERA in 52.0 innings of work. In 2012, he returned to Augusta, pitching to a 7-8 record and 2.96 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 130.2 innings pitched. The Giants added Escobar to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

after the 2012 season. He split the 2013 season between the High-A

San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants ga ...

and the Double-A

Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...

, posting a 8-8 record and 2.80 ERA in 26 appearances between the two teams. He began the 2014 season with the Triple-A

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in do ...

, and logged a 3-8 record and 5.11 ERA in 20 games.

Boston Red Sox

The Giants traded Escobar and

Heath Hembree Richard Heath Hembree (born January 13, 1989), nicknamed Heater, is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Listed at and , Hembree throws and bats right-handed. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the San F ...

to the

in exchange for

Jake Peavy Jacob Edward Peavy (born May 31, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and San Francisco Giants. He batted and threw right- ...

on July 26, 2014. He was called up to the Red Sox on August 10, and returned to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

the next day. Escobar was recalled on August 27, 2014, and pitched a scoreless 8th inning in his Major League debut in Toronto against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

. He finished his rookie season with a 4.50 ERA in 2 appearances. In 2015, Escobar spent the majority of the season in Triple-A Pawtucket, also playing in 1 game for the Single-A

Greenville Drive The Greenville Drive are a Minor League Baseball team based in Greenville, South Carolina. They are the High-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and are a member of the South Atlantic League. They play their home games at Fluor Field at the West En ...

, and pitched to a 3-3 record and 4.97 ERA in 20 games. He was assigned to Pawtucket to begin the 2016 season. Escobar was designated for assignment on April 20, 2016, to make room on the active roster for

William Cuevas William Enrique Cuevas Osorio (born October 14, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tig ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

On April 29, 2016, Escobar was claimed off waivers by the

and optioned to the Triple-A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...

. The Diamondbacks promoted Escobar to the major leagues to make his first major league start on May 30, 2016. In 25 games for Arizona, Escobar recorded a 7.23 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 23.2 innings pitched.

Cleveland Indians

On November 18, 2016, the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

claimed Escobar off waivers. Escobar was designated for assignment on January 5, 2017 to make room on the 40-man roster for

Edwin Encarnación Edwin Elpidio Encarnación (born January 7, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball designated hitter, third baseman and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Ind ...

. He was released on January 10, to pursue a pitching opportunity in Japan.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

On January 11, 2017, Escobar signed a one-year, $775,000 with the

. In 14 games for the Fighters, Escobar registered a 5.64 ERA in 22.1 innings of work.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars

On July 7, 2017, Escobar was traded to the

for catcher Toshiki Kurobane. The BayStars re-signed him in the offseason to a one year deal worth roughly $500,000. He finished the 2017 season with a 3.44 ERA in 27 games for the BayStars. In 2018, Escobar pitched in 53 games for the team, posting a 4-3 record and 3.57 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 53.0 innings pitched. Escobar agreed to another 1-year contract with the BayStars for the 2019 season worth roughly $854,000. That season, Escobar pitched to a 5-4 record and 2.51 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 74 appearances. On November 18, 2019, Escobar signed a 1-year extension, worth roughly $1.5 million, to remain with the BayStars. In 2020, Escobar logged a 1-4 record and 2.33 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 54.0 innings pitched across 56 games.

Personal life

Escobar is son of shortstop José Escobar, as well as cousin of shortstop

Alcides Escobar Alcides Escobar () (born December 16, 1986), is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals and Washington Nationals, and the Tokyo Y ...

, and pitchers

Kelvim Escobar Kelvim José Escobar Bolívar (born April 11, 1976) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays (1997–2003) and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004–2007, 2009). He won 101 games, but his career ...

and

Vicente Campos José Vicente Campos Carnota (born July 27, 1992) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Pericos de Puebla of the Mexican League. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Career Prior to the 2012 season, John Sickels of ...

. Pelota Binaria website
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Escobar, Edwin 1992 births Living people Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Giants players Arizona League Rangers players Augusta GreenJackets players Boston Red Sox players Cardenales de Lara players

Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (died ...

Fresno Grizzlies players Greenville Drive players Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Venezuela Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Salem-Keizer Volcanoes players San Jose Giants players Pawtucket Red Sox players People from Vargas (state) Reno Aces players Richmond Flying Squirrels players Yokohama DeNA BayStars players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States