Angels acquire Espinosa from Nationals

The Los Angeles Angels have found their second baseman.

Los Angeles acquired infielder Danny Espinosa from the Washington Nationals in exchange for right-handers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin, the teams confirmed Saturday night.

The trade ends a brief stand-off between the Nationals and Espinosa, who was reportedly angered by the team's trade for outfielder Adam Eaton earlier in the week. Eaton will likely be slotted in as the team's center fielder, while Trea Turner will move to his natural position of shortstop full-time. That combination would have forced Espinosa, the team's starting shortstop in 2016, into a utility role next year.

So upset was Espinosa that he skipped Saturday's Nationals WinterFest - held just hours before the trade was announced - in disgust, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post.

Now, Espinosa - a native of Orange County who grew up an Angels fan - will get a starting job again in Anaheim, likely at second base thanks to the presence of Andrelton Simmons at shortstop. The 29-year-old has experience at the keystone, having played 522 games there over his career; he was the Nationals' starting second baseman from 2011-13 before shifting into a utility role, and then moving to short permanently last year.

In 2016, Espinosa hit .209/.306/.378 with a career-high 24 home runs and 72 RBIs while striking out 174 times and walking 54 over 157 games for the NL East champion Nationals. He owns a .690 OPS, 92 homers, 60 stolen bases, and 285 RBIs over his seven-year career, spent entirely in Washington.

Espinosa is projected to make $5.3 million in his final year of arbitration next season, according to MLB Trade Rumors. He was paid $2.875 million last year.

Adams, 25, complied a 3.05 ERA and averaged over 13 strikeouts per nine innings over 32 relief appearances with Double-A Arkansas this past year. The former eighth-round pick had been added to the Angels' 40-man roster earlier this winter.

McGowin, the Angels' No. 20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, spent the majority of 2016 with Triple-A Salt Lake, where he struggled in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. The 25-year-old posted a 5.83 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts to 55 walks in 27 starts split between Double-A and Triple-A.