Can the New York Mets count on veteran Eduardo Escobar returning from his debut season in Queens? Does rookie Brett Baty have a chance to be their starting third baseman?
These questions linger in the Mets front office as the team prepares for the upcoming competitive spring practice — especially the third base job. After the Mets’ trade for Carlos Correa fell through due to the San Francisco Giants’ chronic ankle-related medical issues for the star infielder, clearer paths were opened for Escobar and Barty. In some ways, the hangover from the Mets-Correa saga has provided more clarity to the club’s current roster.
The Mets head to Port St. Lucie in less than three weeks with Escobar as their starting third baseman. In their eyes, the 34-year-old infielder from Venezuela is better than his underwhelming season last year. Never mind that, according to FanGraphs’ 2023 ZiPS forecast for Escobar, his production is expected to drop slightly. His 106 wRC+ in 2022 is projected to drop to 100 this year. His 2.3 fWAR is projected to plummet to 1.4 next season.
However, keep in mind that these are micro issues. Escobar is a league-average player, and while he doesn’t have the flashy name of Correa, the Mets’ situation at third base isn’t disastrous.
Management made big moves this offseason, replacing Jacob deGrom with Justin Verlander, adding veteran left-hander Jose Quintana, signing Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga, securing Edwin Di Yass stayed in Queens and re-signed leader Brandon Nemo to a long-term deal. Correa could have put the Mets ahead, but he’s by no means an emergency or vital addition at third base, as most of their other big signings are needed in hopes of repeating their 101-win season.
“We feel really good about Eduardo Escobar,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said last week.
After reading the tea leaves, Eppler all but confirmed Barty, the club’s No. 2 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, is expected to start the season at Triple-A. Barty, 23, will still have ample opportunity to compete for the third base job in spring training, especially since Escobar will miss training camp while representing Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. But, in the eyes of Eppler and other Mets executives, Batty was drafted out of necessity last season.
Escobar was placed on the injured list last August with a strained oblique muscle, while superutility infielder Luis Gillom missed a month with a groin injury. With few other options, the Mets called up Batty for his MLB debut. At the time, Barty was about to advance to Triple-A Syracuse, advancing six games. Barring the injuries to Escobar and Guillorme, the Mets would prefer that Baty get more reps in Syracuse before arriving on The Show. Although he spent less than a week in Triple-A, Barty had an immediate impact on the Mets by hitting his first career home run in his first major league at-bat. influences. But he started just 11 games at third base before a thumb injury required surgery and ended his season.
Now trailing Barty with a thumb injury, the Mets ideally have Escobar and Barty at No. 3. The shift-hitter Escobar is better against southpaws (compare his .681 OPS against righties in 2022 to his .817 OPS against lefties), while lefty Baty has been better against righties in 88 Double-A games. Skipper’s OPS is .988 for Binghamton. Even if Barty starts the season at Triple-A, he still has room to be a key piece of the Mets roster at some point this season.
Now, the Mets prefer to play Escobar at the hot corner. The club believe his uneven performances last year were at least partly due to off-field and private family-related issues. Escobar immediately became the Mets’ club leader in his first year with the Mets, getting off to a strong start in April before finishing with 64 OPS+ in May and June. He made a comeback in July, hit six home runs and posted a . 706 OPS in that hot summer month, only to go down in August, oblique and all.
The biggest reason for the Mets to be optimistic about Escobar’s future with the team is the way he finished last season. His stellar performance in September — eight homers, 25 RBIs, 12 walks, four doubles and three triples for a total of . Ba won his first player of the month award in his career. It’s a glimpse into the type of successful player he can still be after his off-field issues and injuries have passed.
Mets manager Buck Showalter has a soft spot for Escobar, and he often confides in the captain during those frustrating times last year. Escobar’s immediate importance to the Mets club, combined with his numbers when healthy, earns him, in the organization’s view, the chance to attempt a repeat of September’s work. With Barty hungry for a permanent spot on the major league roster, it will only add more fuel for Escobar to keep his foot on the gas pedal.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB contributor for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter @disa souza.
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