Indians release LHP Edwin Escobar, who is headed to Japan

As you all know, the big news yesterday was that Edwin Escobar was released by the Indians to "pursue a professional opportunity in Japan." EE may have seen the writing on the wall and seen this as a golden opportunity.

Escobar spent the 2016 season with Arizona, where he posted a 7.23 ERA and 5.93 FIP in 23.2 big league innings. He had previously appeared in the majors briefly with Boston in 2014.

Presumably, the Indians saw something they could work with, and Mickey Callaway is certainly the man for that job, but you can only have so many dudes on the roster, and EE was the odd man out when the Indians added a better and more expensive EE this winter.

Around baseball

• Trevor Plouffe found a new home, and unfortunately it is with the Oakland Athletics. I was hoping for the Indians to land him on a cheap one-year deal, but of course, there are other options out there for similar production.

• The Dodgers finally announced their pact with Kenley Jansen, something I can't believe hadn't already happened weeks ago.

• Fangraphs reading:

1. Did that game we shan't speak of "delay the bullpen revolution"?
2. Colby Rasmus might be a sign that teams are now too leery to pay for offense
3. Mike Trout's HOF chances: still good. Duh.