Making his big-league debut at age 20 on September 2, 1983, with the Dodgers as a late-season call-up, Espy appeared in 11 games. He then had to wait until 1987 to return to the majors.[3]
Before Espy got a chance to play in the Major Leagues with Pittsburgh, he was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 1986 Rule 5 Draft.[2][3] He played in 14 games in 1987, but did not record a hit.[4] In 1988, he saw much more action on the field, getting into 123 games.[3] He slashed .248/.288/.349 and swiped 33 bags. He finished the season with an 8th-place finish in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.[3] His 1989 season with Texas was arguably the best of his career, where he slashed .257/.313/.331 while stealing a career-high 45 bases (while also getting caught a league-leading 20 times).[3] Espy was granted free agency after a poor 1990 campaign.[2][3]
He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he played 43 & 112 games in 1991 & 1992, respectively.[3] Manager Jim Leyland liked using Espy as a role player who could come off the bench whenever he was needed, whether that be as a pinch hitter, pinch runner, or a defensive replacement.[7] Pittsburgh placed him on unconditional release waivers after the 1992 season, where he was claimed by the Cincinnati Reds.[2][8]
He played in 40 games before being released by the Reds in 1993.[3][2]
^Peterson, Richard; Peterson, Stephen (2017). The Slide: Leyland, Bonds & The Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 132. ISBN978-0-8229-6444-5.