ANGELS ACQUIRE EDUARDO ESCOBAR
The Los Angeles Angels acquired infielder Eduardo Escobar and cash considerations from the New York Mets for pitchers Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux.
What does it give the Los Angeles Angels
Escobar should see plenty of time at the hot corner for the Halos, at least in the short term, due to current injuries to both Anthony Rendon and Gio Urshela. The Angels hope Escobar can overcome his slow offensive start in 2023 and help them stay in the AL Wild Card hunt. So far this year, he is hitting .236 with four homers and 16 RBI. Furthermore, the cash the Mets are sending will cover the majority of the money owed to Escobar.
What does it give the New York Mets
Veteran infielder Escobar had lost playing time to top prospect Brett Baty at third base this season, and trading him away allows Baty to become the everyday man at the hot corner. The two pitchers coming back in this trade, Crow and Marceaux, were viewed by some as the Angels' 19th and 20th ranked prospects, respectively. Both pitchers were pitching at Double-A ball, and will clearly need more time to develop.
Fantasy impact
Escobar offers very minimal fantasy value at this stage of his career. However, him moving on from the Mets should increase Baty's appeal. Baty should get more at-bats to show what type of offensive player he can become. He was already an intriguing player in keeper leagues, and this should only increase his value across all formats.
