Mets trade Eduardo Escobar to Angels for pitchers Coleman Crow, Landon Marceaux
Eduardo Escobar runs on his RBI single against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning in Game One of a day-night MLB baseball doubleheader at Citi Field on Sunday, May 21, 2023. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
PHILADELPHIA — More than a month before the trade deadline, the Mets made their first deal Friday night — and parted with a piece of their major-league roster.
They shipped third baseman Eduardo Escobar (and cash) to the Angels for a pair of Double-A starting pitchers, righthanders Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux.
General manager Billy Eppler said that move, however, “has no correlation” to the Mets’ overall buyer-versus-seller approach to the trade deadline.
“We had a little bit of a surplus in the corner infield and they had a need, so it worked out,” Eppler said in a phone interview with Newsday. “More of it from our perspective is [Steve Cohen’s] continued commitment to a longer-term blueprint, like we talked about [with building the farm system] and being willing to take on money in order to get better players back.”
As trade negotiations got serious in the previous 48 hours, Eppler said, the Mets agreed to pay all of Escobar’s remaining salary except for the minimum in exchange for a better prospect return.
Improving their quantity of quality prospects has been a focus for Cohen since he completed his purchase of the team after the 2020 season. He went as far as to say during spring training this year that he would judge his success as owner on his and his front office’s ability to build a top-tier farm system.
As Eppler noted, the Mets’ ability to bring in young talent is restricted by spending and other limits in the draft and international amateur market. So the opportunity to part with an expendable player for two arms they like — and eat the money for the sake of acquiring better players — was worth taking.
“We have to find other creative ways,” Eppler said. “We have an owner that is willing to seize opportunities if you can bring them to him. This doesn’t happen without his willingness to do that.”
Crow, 22, was drafted in the 28th round in 2019 by Eppler’s Angels, who lured him away from his college commitment with an oversized bonus. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the Angels’ No. 19 prospect.
To begin this season, the Angels assigned Crow to repeat Double-A. He pitched well in four starts (2-0, 1.88 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 31 strikeouts in 24 innings) but has been sidelined for the past two months with inflammation in his right elbow. Eppler said Crow was about to progress to facing batters, so after he moves and throws a bullpen session or two, the Mets will have him do that.
Marceaux, 23, was an Angels third-rounder in 2021. He has a 4.88 ERA in a dozen Double-A starts and had been his old club’s No. 20 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
The Mets announced the trade during their 5-1 loss to the Phillies, meaning they played shorthanded Friday night. With a roster spot to fill for Saturday, they can call up a position player such as the recently demoted Mark Vientos or another utility player such as Danny Mendick.
Toiling under .500 in recent weeks, the Mets have been playing like trade-deadline sellers despite their historically massive payroll.
In Escobar, who was in the last year of a two-year, $20 million contract, the Mets dealt the kind of player who would be likely to go with even a mild seller approach — medium money, helpful to another club, not part of this organization’s longer-term future.
Escobar, 34, opened the season as the Mets’ third baseman, but after he struggled for a couple of weeks, they in effect turned the job over to rookie Brett Baty. Manager Buck Showalter frequently stuck up for Escobar, as he does for many of his veteran players, praising his clubhouse presence and leadership ability.
Escobar did well in a part-time role, hitting .327 with a .365 OBP and .571 slugging percentage since Baty’s promotion.
The Mets were sad to see Escobar go but glad he is joining a team for which he’ll play more frequently.
“I haven’t been able to say goodbye. Hopefully he’s at the hotel and I can say goodbye to him,” Francisco Lindor said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve had in my career. The Angels got a good one for sure.”
Brandon Nimmo said: “I love Escobar. Great clubhouse guy. Friend and someone that I’ll keep in touch with for years to come after baseball. Definitely want him in a position where he’s wanted.”
Escobar hit 20 homers last year but had four this season in 40 games.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
