PHILADELPHIA — The Mets traded Eduardo Escobar and cash to the Angels on Friday night in exchange for a pair of minor league pitchers.
The deal brought an end to Escobar’s disappointing tenure with the Mets.
He signed a two-year, $20 million deal prior to the 2022 season and also has a $9 million team option that includes a $500,000 buyout.
The Mets will pay all but the prorated minimum of the remainder of Escobar’s deal — about $5 million — in order to get the prospects they want.
“He’s one of my favorite teammates ever,’’ Francisco Lindor said of Escobar.
The 34-year-old Escobar hit 20 home runs and had an OPS of .726 last season, but his production dipped badly to start this season and he lost his starting job at third base in April, replaced by rookie Brett Baty.
In 120 plate appearances, reduced to mostly starting against lefties, Escobar had a .695 OPS.
The Angels have been hit by injuries to several infielders, including to former Yankee Gio Urshela.
The Mets traded Eduardo Escobar to the Angels. Getty Images“It’s a good spot for him to re-establish himself as the player we know he can be,’’ Buck Showalter said.
Lindor added that he didn’t think the trade is a sign that the Mets would look to get rid of veteran players, despite their struggles.
Eduardo Escobar makes a throw during the Mets’ clash against the Marlins on April 1. Getty Images“When you don’t play well [as a team], people lose jobs, but I don’t see us as a team that’s going to sell,’’ Lindor said.
“I see us as a team that’s going to contend. We’re built to be contending.”
Right now they’re not, having fallen seven games under .500 (34-41) after losing 5-1 to the Phillies on Friday night.
The Mets could call up 29-year-old infielder Danny Mendick, who spent 2019-22 with the White Sox, to take Escobar’s roster spot.
Eduardo Escobar rounds the bases during the Mets’ game against the Guardians on May 21. APThe two minor leaguers the Mets picked up in the deal, Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux, were both at Double-A.
Crow, 22, was ranked as the Angels’ 17th-best prospect according to Baseball America.
Currently on the 7-day injured list with an undisclosed injury, Crow — a 28th-round draft pick out of high school in 2019 — had a 1.88 ERA in four starts with Double-A Rocket City.
The 23-year-old Marceaux had a 4.88 ERA in a dozen starts with Rocket City.
He was the 20th-ranked prospect in the Angels’ system.
