TODAY: Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that Escobar’s deal is a minor league arrangement.
Feb 15, 10:44pm: Escobar and the Jays are in agreement on a contract pending a physical, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on X). Terms of the deal remain unreported. Escobar is represented by DJ Rengifo y Associates.
9:55pm: Infielder Eduardo Escobar is nearing agreement on a free agent deal with the Blue Jays, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). It’s not known if the former All-Star is closing in on a big league contract or a minor league pact with a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
Escobar, 35, is coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign. He opened the season as the Mets’ third baseman but began the year in a dreadful slump. Escobar carried a .125/.173/.229 line into the middle of April and lost the starting job to Brett Baty. The 13-year MLB veteran turned things around in a depth role but seemed a bit superfluous on the New York roster once Baty was recalled.
The Angels, reeling with infield injuries in late June, acquired Escobar for a pair of minor league pitchers. He didn’t produce much offensively, slumping to a .219/.259/.303 slash over 59 contests. The Halos made the obvious call to buy him out for $500K at year’s end as opposed to retaining him via $9MM team option.
Escobar finished the season with a combined .226/.269/.344 batting line in 309 trips to the plate. He struck out in a little more than a quarter of his plate appearances against a 5.8% walk percentage. While he has never had great strikeout and walk numbers, Escobar’s power production dropped off sharply. He hit six home runs after topping the 20-homer mark in each of the prior five full schedules. That was the result of a significant uptick in ground-balls and a drop in his hard contact rate.
The Jays will hope for something more closely approximating his 2021-22 form. Escobar was a slightly above-average hitter in each of those seasons and combined for a .247/.305/.452 showing with 48 longballs over that stretch.
Escobar’s defensive grades have dropped off as he’s gotten into his mid-30s. He can play any of first, second or third base but received below-average marks at all three spots (although his first base experience is limited enough that it’s difficult to draw conclusions about his glovework there).
Toronto has a number of upper level infield options but doesn’t have much certainty at either second or third base. Last year’s primary starters, Whit Merrifield and Matt Chapman, are free agents. The Jays brought in Isiah Kiner-Falefa on a two-year pact. Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Ernie Clement and prospect Addison Barger are all on the 40-man roster and could vie for reps at one or both positions.
Angels legend
Just what the Jays need is more 3B/2b averageish type players.
Are they cheaper by the dozen?
Dude has a long way to go to average.
This guy is done. Didn’t play well at all for the Angels last year.
Why?!?!?
If it’s a minor league deal the question is why not?
If it’s a major league deal then yeah, Why?!?!?
Ya, when I commented it was just the first sentence. I didn’t consider it could be a minor league deal.
I think the Blue Jays need Cody Bellinger more than anyone.
I agree on belli but I just don’t see them adding him and entering the next tax bracket. Hope I’m wrong though cause this lineup (barring big seasons from guys who have never had one before) is pretty weak. Who’s batting fifth is a legitimate question
Looks like Matt Chapman will need to find a new home. I’m on the fence about the Cubs signing him. The only way it makes sense is a short term deal. 3 years witn an opt out max .
This shouldn’t be a replacement move. That said if it’s “insurance”, then it’s fine.
Matt Chapman never found a home/residence in Toronto. He lived in a hotel his entire time in Toronto. Now i understand the Ritz-Carlton is a few steps up from the local Mariott, but still, i dont think he was ever resigning with the Jays
This is way more common than people think. A lot of athletes don’t reside where they play.
That’s a great report
Can’t have too many subpar 3B but on a minor league deal why not
Can anybody tell me what the hell Blue Jays management is doing with these signings.
Blue Jays management can’t even tell you what Blue Jays management is doing
The flies buzzing around the room are smarter than Shatkins.
Why? How many infielders do the Jays need?! I don’t understand this move unless they are planning on offloading others.
They have a lot of infielders but since few of them are locks, they might as well give themselves a lot of options. Escobar is probably washed and will likely get cut or demoted after spring training but there’s upside if it turns out that last year’s production was a reversible slump and not just age catching up. It doesn’t hurt to evaluate him in the spring. At his best, he’s an every day infield bat. At worst, it will have cost next to nothing (in baseball terms) to get a look.
Shatkins is probably planning to trade Bichette for a journeyman middle reliever, dontcha know.
lol
Lmao
Lmao
Just what the BlueJays need at the major league level, more borderline infield depth.
Yeeesh, How long before Atkins is gone. I like what Steve Simmons said on McKowan’s podcast the other day: to lure Shapiro from Cleveland to Toronto, the Rogers boards had to reinstate baseball decision-making to Shapiro or he wouldn’t come to Toronto. Baseball deicsion-making was removed from his portfolio in Cleveland.
The Jays are going no-where as long as Shapiro has baseball decision-making and Atkins is his puppet .
Its funny because they moved on from AA because they didnt want to give him baseball decision making. The man has a WS and a dynasty in Atlanta.
Jimmertree is an idiot. Same thing every post.
Ducey, what he said has truth.
It’s a minor league deal. Yeah, Fire the GM!
Dynasty ? Atlanta had one of the worst choke series in the playoffs last season.
It’s also funny how much some Toronto fans deify AA. He had plenty of chances to build a winner in Toronto and failed consistently. He had one playoff appearance when he emptied the limited farm they had.
In Atlanta, he was handed the keys to a Ferrari and he managed not to crash it, but he didn’t build Atlanta. All the pieces were there and ready to go, all he had to do was not trade them away.
This ^
This is simply not true and actually the opposite of reality.. First of all, 2016 was AA’s team so that playoff series counts for AA.. Secondly, both of AA’s teams made it farther than any of Atkin’s teams. AA was GM for 6 years. Atkins has not won a playoff game in the 7+ years he has been GM since AA’s 2016 team.
Atkins has been here 8 years (overall) and has one of the worst farm systems in the league, and its not like its because they were all promoted, he is just horrific at drafting.
Now AA did inherit a team that had good players but he has also done many good moves. Extended Acuna/Albies for cheap cheap cheap, traded for Matt Olson, extended him, etc.
TLDR: AA was here 6 years, 2 deep playoff runs. Atkins 7 years, hasnt won a playoff game.
You sound like the RS fans that hated Theo & Tito.
AA did inherit some talent, but you conveniently forgot:
1-Drafting Harris, Strider, and Elder.
2-Trading for Olson & Murphy.
3-Extending Acuna, Albies, and Riley.
He either acquired or extended every good player on that team, except for Fried.
Anyone that doesn’t think he’s done a great job is pretty far afield.
Doesn’t work that way the jays made changes in 2016 and AA was not the GM Atkins was. Once the playoffs start it’s the guys between the lines not the GM. The farm did promote a lot of players and a few big trades were made to not waste Vlad’s and Bo’s years. That would seem genius if they went further when in the playoffs.
I ‘ll admit the farm the last couple of years hasn’t been that great and I loved AA. The reality is they both have the same amount of playoffs wins as Jays GM’s and the Jays have been to the playoffs four times under Atkins, once with AA although payroll was a big issue under AA.
It does work that way, Atkins came in a few months before Spring Training in 2016 and inherited a WS contender, not sure how we can attribute that to Atkins. For your argument you are saying technically its Atkins team so he gets the credit but using logic we know otherwise, If we are talking about semantics, sure Atkins has a playoff win under his belt, but if we are using facts and logic, Atkins had little impact on that roster and has won a playoff game since he dismantled that roster.
100 hundred percent bang on . This management is embarrassing the fans of Toronto and I wonder what kind of reaction is been produced with other management teams . At beginning of off season trying to get land a big whale but know looking for guppies.
@ jimmertee…Extremely Well said…… The 2 Cleveland Clowns have to go…..!!
Quoting what Steve Simmons – Probably the least respected sports writer in the GTA.
Wow what’s going on in Toronto
Atkins LOVES fringe mlb middle infielders. If he corners the market, no one else can have them!
Exactly what I’d like to know .
They signed a player to a minor league deal, just like every other team does.
New to baseball?
When I made the comment yesterday, it wasn’t known whether it was a minor league deal. I assumed ML deal, so my bad.
No such thing as a bad minor league deal, we agree.
My bad – didn’t realize.
Toronto’s moves this off-season remind me of the Angels’ moves last off-season.
valid, and the mariners are playing the rays’ money game. the middle of the al might have a wide enough opening for 4 al east teams in the playoffs
Several teams are acting like the Rays this off-season.
I think a lot of teams are realizing the FA market is ridiculously priced, but it’s also important to note you can’t completely undersell yourself like the Sox have done.
I honestly don’t think Toronto is anywhere near as good as they were last year. I would say let the season play out before we crown anyone, but it seems to me the Blue Jays have downgraded and may not even be postseason material
Last year they had the majors best defense and a very good pitching staff, but their offense struggled to generate runs. They lost 4 members of the starting lineup to free agency.
It was an opportunity to overhaul the offense.
Kevin Kiermaier was brought back, but given that he had his healthiest and best season in years, the odds of him doing that again are slim…
–Probable Downgrade–
Matt Chapman has been (for the time being) replaced by a bunch of journeyman players who are worse hitters then him.
–Downgrade–
Whit Merrifield has been (for the time being) replaced by the same group of journeyman players who are worse hitters then him.
–Downgrade–
Brandon Belt has been replaced by 39 year old Justin Turner who could provide more contact then Belt but overall was a much less productive hitter then Belt last season and isn’t getting younger.
–Probable Downgrade–
It sure looks like they’ve made the weak part of their team weaker. It’s baffling.
Schneider is an upgrade from Merrifiled, he’s a much better hitter.
I agree with all you mention except Belt. Turner isn’t much better, but he’s been far more durable at his age. Belt lives on the IL and anyone who signs him should expect him to be on the IL.
Maybe the Jays had the best pitching and defense, but the Rays and Orioles will hols their ground and the Jays only won 89 games for having (arguably) the best pitching.
Lots of batters are better than Merrifield. He might have been the only guy they could have afforded to lose out of the bunch.
More versatile than Moose, less valuable than most – like others said, at most a minor league deal with an invite to ST.
The infielder you didn’t know you wanted! And no one else did either!
Even if it’s a bluff I hope this is message to Boras to say he’s being unreasonable we are moving on without you. Players deserve to be paid the top of what the market calls for. At the same time there needs to be some compromise
Yeah you think you are threatening Boras with this big signing .
He is probably have a good laugh over this signing
He might get a laugh but my question is are his clients laughing?
It’s the Blue Jays looking to eye fourth or even fifth place in the division.
Very low energy move. What about Biggio, Espinal, Orelvis?? Panicking over third base. They have faith in nobody.
So Atkins’ offseason in a nutshell: he signed three more infielders and brought back Kiermaier. How is this team improved? And what happens if any internal improvements from the hitters are offset by a regression from the pitching staff, which had extreme good health in 2023?
Another great great signing by The Genius Ross Atkins.
I really do not know what Atkins and Shapiro have on the people that run Rogers to keep those two around after last year’s fiasco and what they have done in the off season . Did they really think the big fish was coming here because of the new facilities they are building for the player , rather than getting a team together to win Worldseries .
Rogers made a huge mistake not hiring Dombroski instead of these two clowns. Rogers has No clue about how MLB organization should be built.
The team is competitive and they’re raking in cash with the stadium improvements. I’m sure Rogers management is elated with the current team,
Could be maybe Biggio and/or Espinal is on the move?
If it’s a minor league deal than why not? But guarenteeing a roster spot after last season would be a bad idea
So im thinking either Clement lost his spot to Escobar or Espinal is being traded. Clement earned a bench job from the power he showed in AAA last year. So Clement, IKF, Kirk and who ever of Escobar/Biggio/Schneider isnt on 2B/3B. Biggio can play everywhere but SS/CF, IKF can play everywhere and Schneider is 2b/LF so i guess thats the plan? Espinal should go for the 4th RHH OF they need. So maybe Escobar is just Minor deal and to have a Vet playing for the 3B role or Clement doesn’t make the team. It still seems like something is missing here
Too bad it’s not Atkins and Shapiro on the move .
Blue Jays continue to downgrade. I’d say their off-season is just as bad or worse than the Red Sox, unless I’m missing something.
For all the breathless analysis, given that this is a minor league deal all this reflects is that the Jays have a competition at 3b and pre -23 Escobar would have been a very strong competitor for that job. If at least two teams thought it likely that last year was a fluke and he’ll probably bounce back, this would be a major league deal, but as it is not much downside if this turns into nothing. I still have to believe the Jays paid IKF with the intent of using him at least semi-regularly somewhere. I wonder if the reports of Biggio tendinitis have something to do with adding Escobar to the mix.
-1.1 bWAR and .613 OPS in 99 games last year, with a -4 DRS at 3B, -3 at 2B and -1 at 1B.
35-year-old Escobar is not 2019-2021 Escobar, who hit 67 HRs with 228 RBI and a .780 OPS over those 3 seasons with an All-Star selection in 2021.
How does he improve on Orelvis Martinez? Or even Otto Lopez? Unless this is a minor league depth deal with an invite to spring training?
Yes because they clearly needed another utility player from the scrap heap. What an absolute pathetic embarrassment this offseason has been. Guaranteed battle for the basement with Boston this year.
Mid summer DFA
Looking at his stats he would be a decent platoon partner with IKF at 3B as even last year he hit well vs RHP. He just really sucked vs LHP. Biggio has an injury issue so he is basically insurance.
Doh, got that backwards. Just double checked Dumb dumb dumb.
Yanks were interested
At least a minor league deal is no risk for Escobar. Still, why not grab Solano for a cheap infield upgrade? He probably signs for $4 million.
Good insurance signing, but could definitely break camp with the team.
On a minors deal? That’s fine. The guy’s washed up. Career wRC+ of 95 is terrible.
IKF in December after signing with Toronto and finally getting a chance to start 😀
IKF in January after Justin Turner signs with Toronto 😐
IKF in February after Eduardo Escobar signs with Toronto 🙁
Y’all sound like Red Sox fans. Assuming this is a minor league deal, I see no issue with it.
EVERYONE signs minor league depth.
Since we are talking about the off season by the Jays, the mistakes all stem around IKF/KK, Varsho is an elite CF with a poor bat, he is like a slightly worse KK. So why sign KK and put your slightly worse KK in left field? Now KK is great but the Jays are clearly maxed out from a financial sense (record high payroll, top 4 or 5 in the league) so that money should have been spent on a blackhole position. IKF….okay there is no justification for this one. He is not worth 2/$15M so there is no logic here. He is fine as your super utility defensive replacement guy, but not for this money. There we go, I just freed up $20M+ to add an impact player or two in LF and/or 3B.
Escobar’s less than dazzling hitting stats will fit in nicely with the putrid 5-9 hitters we already have. People here are saying not to worry because this is a minor league deal. But why waste a position in AAA to a has been instead of developing a young player? Again Atkins is an idiot. So is the organ grinder who controls him. Rogers has to stop this insanity. The sooner the better. Oh, don’t worry about Escobar. Atkins will tell you he is sure he will have a career year.
The Jays are hoping the fans will get caught up in the Manoah story instead of looking at the overall picture. Manoah isn’t penciled in as a starter right now. If he does start it will be the as the 5th starter. If Atkins doesn’t sign a good bat to hit somewhere from 5-9 then the team is toast. A writer mentioned the money that was wasted on useless signings such as IKF that could have been used on a solid bat. That’s a sign of a useless GM.
Love Escobar, but I really thought he’d retire after last year’s rough campaign. Negative WAR seasons almost mean MiLB contracts. The Tim Anderson fanatics should take note…
The Blue Jays have nothing to lose on this deal. They’re protected against injury and the most Escobar will cost them is $740k if they select his contract. I’d imagine the MiLB contract has an opt-out in there, but it seems like a fair deal for both sides.
Private jet carrying Escobar is on its way to Toronto as we speak…