Eduardo Escobar Could Act as Short-Term Solution at Third Base

With a new general manager running the show, in Billy Eppler, the New York Mets should be set to make numerous splashes in free agency this offseason, although they’ll be looking to do so without compromising their farm system.

Should be easy enough right? In theory, sure. But as this organization starts attempting to improve the roster, it’ll become critical to spend wisely and on the right pieces, or else they could be headed for another disappointing outcome in 2022.

Among the many positions this front office will need to address, third base has been a glaring hole for this franchise over the last several seasons, especially as of late. For the most part, J.D. Davis has occupied the starting role at the hot corner since 2020, unfortunately, he hasn’t played up to his high expectations thus far, signalling he likely won’t be the solution at that position.

Considering high-profile players like Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Jose Ramirez and Matt Chapman are all expected to be available through free agency or trades this winter, there’s a pretty strong chance the Mets will be able to make a dramatic upgrade at third base in the coming months.

But the crucial question remains, who should they target? Well, with highly-touted prospects like Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio on the way, acquiring a superstar third baseman would undoubtedly delay both of their debuts at the major league level. Since those special days appear to be only a few seasons away, it might make more sense to pursue a short-term fix rather than a long-term one.

If that’s the case, veteran Eduardo Escobar should be at the top of New York’s wish list, as he’s considered one of the best available infielders among the second tier of free agents. Though he doesn’t feature elite status like the names listed above, the 32-year-old has largely been underrated for most of his professional career, namely the last four seasons.

Aside from a forgettable 202o campaign, where he posted a career-worst -0.5 fWAR rating over 54 games, Escobar has served as a fairly productive contributor since 2018, resulting in a fWAR rating of at least 3.0 in three of his last four seasons – not too shabby for a late-bloomer.

Set to enter his age-33 season in 2022, even at this stage of his career, the switch-hitting infielder could act as a reliable short-term option until Baty or Mauricio – or both perhaps – are ready to assume a full-time role in the majors. In the meantime, the Mets would almost certainly receive productive results from the 5’10” hitter, especially from the right side of the plate.

While only 160 of his 599 total plate appearances came as a right-hander in 2021, Escobar did his best to make the most out of every chance he received, as he recorded nine doubles, nine home runs, 25 RBIs, a .240 ISO, a 128 wRC+ score and a slashing line of .293/.338/.533 between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Milwaukee Brewers.

Regardless of which side of the plate he’s stood on, the former Brewer hasn’t struggled to hit for power in recent years, which has seen him register at least 23 home runs and a .470 slugging percentage in three of the last four campaigns.

Most recently, Escobar showcased his slugging abilities numerous times in both Arizona and Milwaukee, resulting in 28 home runs, a .472 SLG percentage and a .219 ISO through 599 plate appearances. In comparison to the rest of the field, he finished tied with the seventh-most home runs, created the eighth-highest SLG percentage and the ninth-highest ISO among all third basemen, according to FanGraphs.com.

Paired with his power totals, the 2021 National League All-Star has also proven capable of remaining disciplined in the batter’s box – both sides of it. As a result, he’s never generated a strikeout rate that’s exceeded 21.0 percent, and further reduced his tendency to extend the strike zone this past season.

In 2020, Escobar produced a 35.2% chase rate and a 30.2% first-pitch swing percentage, both of which were near career-worst marks. But thanks to his improved patience, the veteran hitter was successful in lowering each of those metrics, causing him to record a career-best 28.8% chase rate and a 26.9% first-pitch swing percentage.

While he’s struggled against breaking balls and off-speed pitches in the past, the native of Venezuela has been exceptional when fastballs have come his way, as both a righty and a lefty, ever since his breakout performance in 2018.

Continuing his success in 2021, Escobar hit 20 his 28 home runs against heaters, while also creating a .265 AVG, .261 xAVG, .536 SLG and a career-high .513 xSLG over 240 batted-ball events. Thanks to this impressive showing, the potent switch-hitter has been able to record a .500 SLG percentage or higher in every season except for one (’20) since 2018.

For a Mets’ offense that struggled mightily against fastballs this past season, as they finished with the fourth-lowest SLG percentage (.408) and the fifth-lowest xSLG percentage (.414) among all 30 teams, according to BaseballSavant.com, they’d certainly benefit from adding Escobar to the mix.

Defensively, the former amateur free agent is capable of playing at all four infield positions, with third base considered his most comfortable area. In addition, he’s also spent a brief time in the outfield over his 11 seasons in the majors, compiling 275 1/3 innings between all three locations.

As versatile as Escobar has been throughout his career, without question, third and second base are the two positions where he’s excelled the most. Though a Gold Glove Award probably isn’t in his future, he’s still capable of providing serviceable results at the hot corner, which saw him earn a respectable -1 OAA rating over 767 1/3 innings in 2021.

If he were needed to shift over to second base on a short-term basis, the right-handed fielder could prove to be very efficient in that type of role, as he performed to a career-best +3 OAA rating through 284 1/3 innings this past season – making him a fairly reliable defender at multiple different locations.

Financially, Escobar is coming off a three-year, $21 million contract that paid him $7.5 million in 2021. With that in mind, chances are he’s seeking a very similar deal this winter, likely one that earns him a sizeable raise as well.

From New York’s standpoint, if they were to land him on a three-year contract worth around $30 million, featuring a $10 million average annual value, that could allow the front office to address a major need while also still possessing enough financial capital to spend on other areas. Most notably, increasing their chances of re-signing Javier Baez, improving the starting rotation, bullpen and outfield.

So while acquiring a high-profile third baseman would be exciting, however, targeting a second-tier free agent could be much more worthwhile in terms of enjoying the best possible offseason for this franchise.