The New York Mets have traded infielder Eduardo Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed pitchers Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux, the teams announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Escobar was in his second season with the Mets. In 2023, he cuts .236/.286/.409 with four home runs and 16 RBIs.
- Crow has a 1.88 ERA with 24 innings pitched in 2023 for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas. Marceaux is 3-6 this season with the Trash Pandas, posting a 4.88 ERA with 59 innings pitched.
- On Friday, the Mets are 34-40, fourth in the National League East. The Angels are 41-35, third in the American League West.
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Why did the Mets make this choice?
For a while now, Steve Cohen, Billy Eppler and the Mets have been talking about building a lasting winner in Queens. With the major league club struggling this season and with Escobar’s role diminished, the Mets saw an opportunity to bring in minor league talent, and they were willing to cover Escobar’s salary for the remainder. of the season to do so.
“The Angels had a need, and we had a little surplus,” Eppler said. “It’s a testament to Steve and his commitment to the plan here. …. We won’t have these players if Steve doesn’t cover the money.
(That’s a notable change from how the Mets routinely operated under the Wilpons late in the last decade, when they never got the money back from the players they traded.)
Even as a reserve, Escobar had been a useful player for the Mets — his OPS is .897 over the past two months — so they’ll be counting on someone younger to step in. It could be Mark Vientos, who was just sent down over the weekend. — Breton
Does this signal that the Mets will be sellers?
While the timing here raises some eyebrows, it’s premature to consider this the first month-long sale of the Mets’ current roster. The Angels started the trade conversation because of their needs on the field, and the Mets were willing to listen because of their other options for filling Escobar’s role.
New York still has more than a month to make a firmer decision on its deadline plans. — Breton
Why Los Angeles made this trade
The Angels made the trade due to a slew of on-field injuries over the past 10 days. The team lost Gio Urshela for the season. Anthony Rendon came out with a sore wrist. And starting shortstop Zach Neto is struggling with an oblique injury. The Angels wanted a proven third baseman to both start in the immediate future and serve as an insurance option for the oft-injured Rendon. The Angels are desperate to win this season and felt they had to make a move to stay competitive. — Blum
Angels seem like deadline buyers
Losing Marceaux and Crow is not without significance for the Angels. They rank in the organization’s Top 20 prospects. Crow’s profile has risen steadily in the organization over the years since he was taken in the 28th round at a value above the slot. Marceaux has a 4.88 ERA in 59 innings this year at Double-A. The Angels are hoping to be buyers by the deadline, and this trade impacts their ability to acquire more players before Aug. 1. Blum
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(Photo: John Jones/USA Today)