Angels acquire Eduardo Escobar in deal with Mets
Halos part with Minor League RHPs, Top 30 prospects Landon Marceaux, Coleman Crow
Rhett Bollinger
@RhettBollingerDENVER -- With veteran Gio Urshela out for the season with a fractured left pelvis, and infielders Anthony Rendon and Zach Neto on the injured list, the Angels added to their infield depth on Friday by acquiring Eduardo Escobar and cash considerations from the Mets in exchange for Minor League right-handers Landon Marceaux and Coleman Crow.
It shows the Angels are serious about competing this season, as they¡¯re trying to shore up their infield with Rendon out with a left wrist contusion and Neto dealing with a left oblique strain.
¡°Obviously our depth has really been tested in the infield,¡± manager Phil Nevin said following his team's 7-4 loss to the Rockies in the series opener at Coors Field. ¡°He's a professional. He's been around a long time, been through a lot in this game.
"He's somebody that I'm getting a lot text messages right now about what a great guy he is and how he wants to win, and is a competitor. So I¡¯m looking forward to having him here.¡±
Escobar, 34, was slashing .236/.286/.409 with four homers, three doubles, two triples and 16 RBIs in 40 games with the Mets this season. He mostly saw action at third base, but he also made nine appearances at second base and one at shortstop.
Escobar is a career .254/.307/.435 hitter with 162 homers and 621 RBIs in 1,304 games over 13 seasons with the White Sox, Twins, D-backs, Brewers and Mets. He was an All-Star in 2021, and he had been heating up at the plate recently, slashing .289/.349/.487 over his past 30 games.
The Venezuela native is known for his clubhouse presence, as he¡¯s long been one of the most amusing players in the Majors.
Escobar figures to play third base until Rendon returns, but he could also fill-in occasionally at second base and shortstop. The Angels have been starting Andrew Velazquez at shortstop in Neto¡¯s absence, while Luis Rengifo has been starting at third base.
Brandon Drury and Michael Stefanic have been splitting time at second base, while Jared Walsh and Kevin Padlo have formed a platoon at first base.
The Angels, though, are expected to send down an infielder to make room for Escobar on the 26-man roster. Urshela was moved to the 60-day IL to make room for Escobar on the 40-man roster.
Rendon¡¯s wrist was feeling better on Friday, but there¡¯s still no exact timetable for his return, while Neto isn¡¯t on the road trip and is still expected to be out for a few weeks. But the Angels wanted to be aggressive and acquired Escobar, who is in the last year of his contract, which also has a $9 million option for 2024.
To acquire Escobar, the Angels parted with a pair of right-handers from Double-A Rocket City.
Marceaux, 23, was the Halos¡¯ third-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and he had a 4.88 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 59 innings at Double-A.