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Marlins trade Yunel Escobar to Rays

Yunel Escobar's exit from Miami was quick due to his unwillingness to play third base.

By Ronald Clark
Tom Szczerbowski

The Miami Marlins have traded shortstop Yunel Escobar to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league infielder Derek Dietrich before Escobar even had a chance to play for the team, according to the South Sun-Sentinel.

Escobar is the latest victim of the Marlins slashing their payroll this offeseason. Escobar, who was traded from the Blue Jays to the Marlins just two weeks ago, wasn't originally on the list of possible trade bait until he was no longer interested in a move to third base after originally saying he was after the trade was consummated.

The Marlins now sit at $38 million in payroll after slashing $151.5 million so far.

Escobar was part of the 12-player trade involving Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle between the Marlins and Blue Jays on Nov. 19.

In return for Escobar, the Marlins receive Dietrich, who batted .282 with 10 home runs and 58 RBIs last season for Class-A Charlotte before moving up to Double-A Montgomery and hitting .279 with 14 homers and 75 RBIs.

Photographs by cstreet.us, thelastminute, turtlemom nancy , fesek, kthypryn, justinwright, sue_elias, pointnshoot, and scrapstothefuture used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.