Eduardo Escobar was traded by the New York Mets to the Los Angeles Angels this past Friday. In the announced trade, the Mets will get a pair of minor league pitching prospects in right-handers Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux. The deal also involves cash being sent to the Angels.
Time in New York
The trade brings an end to Escobar’s brief tenure with the Mets. After signing with them in November of 2021, he played in 120 games, and hit 20 home runs in 2022. However, he started the 2023 season off slow, batting below .200. Escobar ended up losing the third-base job to rookie Brett Baty. However, he was able to recover in a utility role, and hit .333 in his final 19 games.
Needed in Los Angeles
The Angels will be looking for Eduardo Escobar to provide leadership for this team. He is both a mentor on the field and in the clubhouse, and that includes both the younger players as well as the veterans. The ability to be a good teammate is also important, and that is one of Escobar’s best skills.
The Angels finds themselves in contention for a playoff spot, and needed a replacement at third base. With Gio Urshela done for the season and Zach Neto and Anthony Rendon on the IL, the Angels needed infield depth. The other player seeing some time at third is Luis Rengifo who is hitting around .200, so a trade was necessary.
What the Mets Get
The Mets received two of the Angels’ top-twenty prospects in return for Escobar, Crow (19) and Marceaux (20). Both had been starters at Double-A Rocket City. They will immediately report to Double-A Birmingham. In four starts, Crow was 2–0 with a 1.88 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 24 innings. Marceaux has struck out 124 hitters in 153 1/3 innings. He has struggled with his pitch selection. Nonetheless, he has a lot of potential due to his slider and curve positioning.
For the Mets
Eduardo Escobar is going to the Angels, and it appears the Mets are committing to Baty as their fulltime starting third baseman. He has shown flashes and enough upside to justify being locked in at third. The Mets have the highest payroll, and have been one of the major disappointing teams in baseball this year. We will see if they decide to trade more players if they feel they are no longer in contention for playoff spot come the end of July.
For the Angels
Escobar will get a chance to reestablish himself with this recent trade. The Angels will also get a quality veteran with playoff experience who can provide leadership. That is something the Angels need, as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
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