Alex Escobar

For about a minute there it looked like Escobar had finally made it, surviving his terrible injury history with enough left to start capitalizing on his talent. It wasn't to be, however, as yet another DL stint and surgery (this one for a torn labrum suffered while diving into first base) cut short a promising season. If he appears healthy in spring training the Nationals may elect to give him another chance to be their starting center fielder, but they'd better have plenty of other options available if they do.

Escobar missed all of 2005 with a broken foot, an injury that jeopardizes what career he'd managed to carve out for himself. He'll need to do something, and fast, to avoid becoming just another failed prospect.

Before a broken foot ended his season, Escobar was making a concerted effort to control the strike zone better -- the result was no power and no contact. Some guys are born to be patient pounders, some to be hackers. Looks like Escobar is one of the latter. He'll need a solid spring to win a big league job.

Escobar hit for a lot of power at Triple-A Buffalo (24 HR in 439 ABs), but still does not know how to watch a ball hit the catchers' mitt. His OPS has gone down every year since 1996 and it appears unlikely he will realize the talent so many had projected. His age (25) is still a plus, but the clock is ticking.

Coming back from a torn ACL in his left knee, Escobar will be competing for a starting OF job come spring. Due to a hamstring injury which sidelined him in the Florida Instructional League and political unrest that caused the cancellation of winter ball in Venezuela, Escobar has not had the opportunity to prove he's recovered. Even if he fully recovers, Escobar's plate discipline is sketchy enough to raise doubts that he'll achieve the superstar status that so many predicted for him.