1 Alcides Escobar SS

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.

Escobar was released by the White Sox on Friday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Escobar signed a minor-league deal with Chicago in March and spent the last four months at Triple-A Charlotte. The veteran shortstop posted a .286/.343/.444 slash line with 10 home runs in 96 games.

Escobar signed a minor-league contract with the White Sox on Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Escobar was released by the Orioles on Wednesday and was apparently unable to find any major-league opportunities elsewhere. The 32-year-old should head to Triple-A Charlotte and will serve as a depth option at shortstop for the White Sox.

Escobar was released by the Orioles on Wednesday, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

The Orioles elected to go with youth and upside over veteran leadership, with the 32-year-old Escobar jettisoned in favor of Rule 5 picks Richie Martin and Drew Jackson. Escobar's viability as a major leaguer is questionable at this point in his career, as the advanced metrics haven't liked his defense for the last few years and he hasn't posted a wRC+ above 69 since 2014.

Escobar has an opt-out in his contract which triggers Wednesday, meaning the Orioles' decision on whether or not to add him to the major-league roster is imminent, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

The Orioles must decide if they want a veteran taking up a spot on the roster or if they'd be better served giving playing time to young players given where they currently sit in the competitive cycle. Escobar is hitting just .219 with a .597 OPS this spring, though Baltimore was likely never expecting much more than veteran leadership from him at this point in his career. Rule 5 picks Richie Martin and Drew Jackson represent the Orioles' primary alternatives at shortstop.

Escobar went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in Thursday's exhibition against Philadelphia.

Escobar plated a run in the second inning on a fielder's choice and laced an RBI single into left field to score Jonathan Villar in the third. He's off to a strong start with Baltimore and will aim to keep it rolling as he attempts to earn a utility role with the big-league club.

Escobar joined the Orioles at their spring training facility Tuesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Escobar had struck an agreement to join the Orioles on a minor-league deal over the weekend but needed a couple of days to get his travel arrangements in order before reporting to camp. He'll be only a day behind his fellow position players, so the delay shouldn't impact Escobar's ability to make the club. After mostly serving as an everyday shortstop for Kansas City the past eight seasons, Escobar will be competing for a utility gig with the big club and looks on track to fall well short of the 500 plate appearances he's cleared every year since 2009.

Escobar signed a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Saturday, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

The veteran averaged 155 games per season in eight seasons with the Royals and was a key part of Kansas City's back-to-back pennant runs in 2014 and 2015, though he's never done much at the plate. Over 11 big-league seasons, he's hitting .258/.293/.343 with just 41 homers. He'll join one of the easiest rosters to break into in the league, though the Orioles may prefer to give at-bats to younger players.

Escobar is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar will take a seat for the second straight game despite a six-game hit streak in which he is 9-for-22 with two doubles and a walk. Hunter Dozier grabs another start at third base for the Royals, batting sixth.

Escobar is not in the lineup Thursday against the Indians, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar will take a seat for Thursday's series opener as he continues to split time at the hot corner with Hunter Dozier, who is starting in place of Escobar on Thursday for the third time in the last six games. The veteran infielder is hitting .227/.276/.311 with four homers and eight steals through 138 games on the season.

Escobar is not starting Tuesday against the Reds.

The veteran has hit .407 with a 1.000 OPS over his last seven games. He'll sit Tuesday, with Hunter Dozier starting at third base.

Escobar is not in Saturday's starting nine against the Tigers, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar will get a breather after starting each of the last four games. Hunter Dozier draws the nod at the hot corner and will bat fifth.

Escobar is not in the lineup Monday against the Pirates.

Escobar has started four of the last five games, slashing just .188/.235/.375 over that stretch. He'll give way to Hunter Dozier at the hot corner for Monday's series opener.

Escobar went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored Saturday against the Twins.

Escobar gave the Royals the lead with an RBI single in the second inning and played a key role in their offensive explosion throughout the game. He can be counted on to draw around four starts a week, but he provides little value with that playing time.

Escobar is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar heads to the bench for the fifth time in the last seven games as Hunter Dozier grabs another start at third base. Escobar's playing time diminished greatly in August, despite having his best month of the season by slashing .302/.348/.460.

Escobar is not in the starting lineup versus Baltimore on Friday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar will take a seat for the fourth time in the past six games as the Royals begin a three-game set against the Orioles. In his place, Hunter Dozier will man third base while Ryan O'Hearn gets a start at first.

Escobar is out of the lineup against the Tigers on Wednesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar will retreat to a spot on the bench after going 0-for-3 with a sac fly during Tuesday's victory. Manager Ned Yost will trot out an infield of Ryan O'Hearn, Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi and Hunter Dozier for Wednesday's outing.

Escobar is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Indians, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Escobar will head to the bench for the second consecutive game but is slashing .304/.361/.464 over 56 at-bats in August, by far his best month of the season thus far. Hunter Dozier starts at third base for the fifth straight game while Adalberto Mondesi remains at shortstop.

Escobar is not in the lineup Friday against Cleveland, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Escobar sits after starting four straight games. Adalberto Mondesi returns from his hamstring issue to play shortstop, while Hunter Dozier draws his fourth straight start at third base.

Escobar is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Escobar will get a breather for the second time in four games after going 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI in the first two games of the series in Chicago. His exit from the lineup opens up a spot at third base for Hunter Dozier.