WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – From 2020-23, Paolo Espino eagerly said “yes” to taking the ball in various roles for the Nationals.
Starter, long reliever, a one-inning stint, he did it all when needed.
Espino’s four-season stint in Washington, D.C, was only a fraction of his 20-year career in professional baseball. Among his accolades, he is one of only three players to have competed in this year’s World Baseball Classic and the inaugural global tournament in 2006.
This week, the 39-year-old right-hander retired from baseball. He made his final appearance with Team Panama in the WBC, walking off the mound to an emotional ovation.
Inside the Nationals' clubhouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., Espino’s former Nats teammates reflected on his career and shared what he meant to them as a veteran leader with MLB.com.
RHP Josiah Gray: “Espino is a phenomenal teammate. He was one of the first guys I met when I got over here in 2021, and we spent two or three years together. It was always a good conversation, always a guy you can bounce things off of. He always wanted to better himself, better his teammates. To know his story and how long he played professional baseball, and to do it at the level he did is really remarkable. I'm happy that he got to go out on a high note in the WBC for his country because there’s probably no greater honor.”
C Keibert Ruiz: “He was a really, really smart guy, a veteran guy. When I first got called up, he had a couple of years in the big leagues. He helped me, he was a great teammate.”
RHP Jake Irvin: “He was so awesome. The first time I met him was at the alt-site [for the COVID-shortened 2020 season]. Coming into an experience like that where you can't really get as close to guys as you want to because of all the different restrictions we had in place, he treated all of us like family. It's an intimidating atmosphere going into what was my first big league experience, and he was so humble and kind. And I think that that's how he always was, getting to spend a couple years with him after that, too.
“He was somebody that younger guys could look up to, watch him work. If you ever had to pick his brain, he would go out of his way to just say nice things and be kind of a supporter. He was the ultimate teammate.
“He knew a lot about the game and he was very knowledgeable about pitching, which was sweet. But things I remember most are the type of person he was, the type of guy he was in the locker room. I think that having somebody like that who had been around the game for so long, but at the same time was so humble and just happy to be where he was and be where his feet are, it taught me a lot about what it takes to stay in the game for so long and what it looks like to be a good person.”
C Riley Adams: “He was the same guy every day. He’s a guy that shows up with a positive attitude and, no matter what situation, is willing to take the ball and give us innings and give us outs. He had a lot of different stuff, I always loved that. I always loved his curveball. It was just a straight 12-6. The difference off that fastball is pretty crazy with the curveball.
“Just a good guy to have around the clubhouse to talk to and chat with. It’s always nice when you know you know what you're getting. Every day when he shows up, and every day he's going out there to compete.”
C Tres Barrera: “He was always a great dude. Not just baseball-wise; he's one of the nicest human beings that I've met in baseball. Always a nice guy, always in a good mood, very smart guy, obviously a very great teammate to everybody. I never saw him and he was not smiling when he was at the field. He always had a great time, and he was a really good pitcher. It was really fun to catch all of his pitches.”
RHP Jackson Rutledge: “He was genuinely one of the nicest people I've ever met. I’m sure you’ve heard that a lot. I think I met him at the COVID alt-site. I was young, had no idea what I was doing. He was super nice about helping the young guys out. At that time, I hadn't made it past Low-A. There were all these guys, up and down in the big leagues, and all that stuff was a little bit intimidating. But he was just a friendly face. You could ask him anything and he’d help us out.”