Boston Red Sox Espinoza signed with the
Boston Red Sox as an international free agent in October 2014, receiving a reported bonus of $1.8 million plus $200,000 in scholarship money. Additionally, Espinoza was
Baseball America’s fourth-ranked international amateur prospect and top-ranked pitcher, while grabbing the number 10 spot on
MLB.com’s list. Espinoza joined the
Dominican Summer League Red Sox 2 on June 1, 2015. He made quick work of that circuit, allowing only two
earned runs on 13 hits and two
walks for a 1.20 ERA, while
striking out 21 batters in 15 innings. In addition to a strong statistical performance, his fastball was reported to touch sometimes. He then earned a promotion to the rookie level
Gulf Coast League Red Sox late in the month. Instead of finding himself challenged, Espinoza was even more dominant there, giving up just three earned runs in 40 innings, good for a 0.68 ERA to go with a .170
opponents batting average and 40 strikeouts against nine walks, In 15 starts between three levels, Espinoza posted a 1.23 ERA with 0.99
WHIP while striking out 65 in innings. He was kept on a strict four-inning limit per game. Espinoza opened the 2016 season with Greenville. The Padres assigned Espinoza to the Class A
Fort Wayne TinCaps. He finished 2016 with a 6–11 record with a 4.49 ERA. Espinoza started the 2017 season on the disabled list with an elbow injury. On July 28, 2017, he was diagnosed with a torn
ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. He underwent
Tommy John surgery which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2017 season and the entire 2018 season. The Padres added Espinoza to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season. Espinoza underwent a second Tommy John surgery on April 22, 2019, and missed the entire 2019 season. He also did not play in 2020, as the minor league season was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. In early May 2021, Espinoza appeared in a regular-season game for the first time since 2016, pitching two scoreless innings for Fort Wayne.
Chicago Cubs On July 30, 2021, Espinoza was traded to the
Chicago Cubs in exchange for
Jake Marisnick. He was assigned to the
South Bend Cubs, but was eventually promoted to the Double–A
Tennessee Smokies. On May 30, 2022, he was called up to the MLB and made his debut later that day. In 7 games during his rookie campaign, Espinoza registered a 5.40 ERA with 19 strikeouts in innings pitched. On November 10, Espinoza was removed from the
40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A
Iowa Cubs; he elected free agency the same day.
San Diego Padres (second stint) On December 12, 2022, Espinoza signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the
San Diego Padres. He made 28 starts for the Triple–A
El Paso Chihuahuas in 2023, registering an 8–9 record and 6.15 ERA with 117 strikeouts across innings of work. Espinoza elected free agency following the season on November 6.
Orix Buffaloes On January 16, 2024, Espinoza signed with the
Orix Buffaloes of
Nippon Professional Baseball. He made 22 appearances for Orix, compiling a 7–9 record and 2.63 ERA with 113 strikeouts across innings pitched. On October 8, Espinoza re–signed with the Buffaloes for the 2025 season. ==Sources==