Is Kelvim Escobar a Sleeper?

March 24, 2009

Kelvim Escobar spends more time on the Disabled List than a criminal spends in jail. At least, that’s what it seems like. He missed all of 2008, and 15 games in 2007 with shoulder injuries, and 11 and 91 games in 2006 and 2005 respectively,with elbow injuries.

But in between all those injuries he was a very good pitcher. For example, in 2007 he went 18-7 with a 3.40 ERA, a 1.267 WHIP and 160 K’s in 195.2 innings. Not too shabby. Plus, he’s on the Angels, which means good run support if he plays.

Many did not expect Escobar to be ready for the start of this season, but apparently he is ahead of schedule. According to TG News, yesterday Escobar “threw fastballs consistently in the 90s, including one that hit 96.” The Angels have John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and Jered Weaver as fixtures in their rotation, but the fifth spot is between Dustin Mosley (6.79 ERA in ‘08) and Nick Adenhart (9.00 ERA in ‘08). If Escobar comes back and stays healthy (insert joke here), it could be a real boon to the Angels’ rotation.

For fantasy baseball purposes, Escobar may be worth a late round draft pick, or bench spot. He has a ton of talent and could provide some wins and strikeouts at a very low cost. But you’d be nuts to expect him to stay healthy and anchor your pitching staff.