Alcides Escobar: Continuing career in Japan

Escobar agreed to a contract Wednesday with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Kazuto Yamazaki of Baseball Prospectus reports.

After failing to win an Opening Day roster spot with the White Sox last spring, Escobar reported to Triple-A Charlotte and slashed .286/.343/.444 across 405 plate appearances before being cut loose in August. Rather than settling for another minor-league deal this winter and pursuing a long-shot bid to win an MLB roster spot, Escobar will head overseas and presumably play under a more lucrative contract.