The New York Mets have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with veteran infielder Eduardo Escobar, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reports. Heyman adds that the deal will pay Escobar a total of $20 million, pending a physical.
Coming into the offseason, Escobar, who turns 33 in January, was ranked No. 45 on our list of top 50 free agents. He's a switch-hitter who fares better against lefties, and he's capable of playing all four infield positions. He's probably best at second base. Last season, Escobar hit a combined 28 home runs for the Diamondbacks and Brewers and made the All-Star team for the first time.
Across parts of 11 big league seasons, Escobar owns a career slash line of .256/.309/.436 (99 OPS+) with 20 home runs per 162 games played. Escobar figures to give the Mets depth at multiple positions in the infield and provide an option for semi-regular duty at second base in the event that the Mets don't bring back Javier Báez.
The Mets under new GM Billy Eppler have lots of work to do in the rotation, so the Escobar addition surely isn't any kind of signature move this offseason. However, it's potentially a canny one, as Escobar helps their depth significantly and gives them some pop, all at very reasonable rates.
