Alex Escobar

Alexander José Escobar [ess-COE-bar] (born September 6, 1978) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Nationals.

Career Escobar was signed by the Mets as a non-draft amateur free agent in and made his debut in . At the end of the season, he was traded to the Indians as part of an eight-player deal that sent Roberto Alomar to the Mets. Escobar missed the entire season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Spring Training. In , he recovered from a slow start at Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and played 28 games, collecting 24 home runs and 78 runs batted in.

In the minors, Escobar was an All-Star in the 'AAA' International, 'AA' Eastern, and 'AA' South Atlantic leagues. He also was selected by Baseball America to join the 1998 All-Stars team.

Escobar was demoted by the Nationals during spring training after hitting just .103 (3-for-29) with two RBIs. He said he was not getting enough playing time in spring training. "I'm not swinging the bat. I have to work my way back," Escobar said. "I'm getting used to being on the field every day. It's a combination of everything." Baseball America rated him as a top prospect for three years.