Grading the offseason moves the Mets made and didn't make

Mets sign Eduardo Escobar

The Mets finished 27th in all of baseball scoring just 3.9 runs per game. With all of the inconsistencies with their pitching, the lack of offense is the biggest reason they did not make the playoffs last season. Injuries and underperforming players outside of Pete Alonso were littered up and down the lineup.

The Mets made an effort to bolster their lineup by signing established veterans. One of these veterans was Eduardo Escobar.

I have been very high on Escobar for a while now. He's a switch hitter with tremendous power. The Mets got him at a very cheap price, in my opinion, two years $20 million dollars.

Last season, Escobar slashed .253/.314/.472 with 28 home runs and 90 RBI splitting time between the Diamondbacks and Brewers. The Mets finished 25th last season in home runs, so adding power was a must. Escobar provides lots of it.

Escobar is also a guy who performs better with runners in scoring position, another area the Mets have really struggled in recently. He hit .278 with an .856 OPS this season with runners in scoring position and in his career he's hit .282 with an .815 OPS, both well above his regular marks.

In the 2019 season, the last full season played before the 2021 campaign, Escobar hit 35 home runs and drove in 118 runs. The power is there, he's proven it.

Escobar is a guy the Mets can plug in the middle of their lineup and expect production from. They got him at such a cheap contract too. He plays a serviceable third base and second base if need be, and he even played a little bit of first base in Milwaukee last season. I expect big things from the 33-year-old.

Grade: A-