On Friday, two of the remaining players from the New York Mets Opening Day roster from the previous season who were in free agency signed new contracts. By coincidence, they have minor league contracts with the same organization and will be joining it.
The team’s third baseman and designated hitter on opening day will compete for a spot on the Toronto Blue Jays roster. After receiving invitations to the Blue Jays’ spring training, Eduardo Escobar and Daniel Vogelbach both accepted minor league contracts.
The signing of minor league contracts by two 2023 Mets Opening Day starters reflects where everything went wrong: the start
The Mets had the largest payroll in MLB history as of the year 2023. The pressure to win a championship was inevitable for Steve Cohen’s ball club, and it affected them greatly.
Last year, Vogelbach and Escobar would find themselves on two entirely different journeys. In late June, Escobar was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for two prospects. Coleman Crow was the only player the Mets sent to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor.
Vogelbach was fully committed to the Mets for the duration of the season. For a team with such high expectations, even though he was able to bring his season totals closer to career averages, it wasn’t nearly good enough. He was unplayable against left-handed pitchers, slow on the bases, and never played defense. His icy May and June of last season eclipsed other productive months. His limitations have made him an unsuitable fit from the beginning.
Obviously, both former Mets players need to land a big league position. Escobar’s decline was considerably more abrupt, culminating in a shared slash line between the two clubs of.226/.269/.344. During his 309 plate appearances, he only managed 6 home runs. Despite his poor performance in 2022, he still hit 20 home runs for the Mets.
With free agent Matt Chapman leaving Toronto, Escobar will try to fill the void at third base. Vogelbach hopes to have a chance to play left-handed DH for the Blue Jays, just like Brandon Belt did for them so brilliantly the previous season.