After losing both Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup to the Angels in the span of a week, the Mets finally got in on the offseason action. On Friday, New York made its first major move of the winter—agreeing to a two-year, $20 million deal with infielder Eduardo Escobar. About two hours later, the Mets made yet another splash, signing outfielder Mark Canha to a two-year contract worth $26.5 million. Both deals include a third-year club option and provide the Mets with much-needed versatility and depth. 

Escobar, 32, is coming off his first career All-Star selection—in which he slashed .253/.314/.472 with 28 home runs and a 107 wRC+ across 146 games with the Diamondbacks and Brewers.  This switch-hitting infielder is also one of the most versatile hitters in all of baseball—spending considerable time at both second and third base, while also playing some games at first base in 2021. Escobar will presumably take over as the primary third-basemen for the Mets until Brett Baty, the team’s #2 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, is ready for the big leagues.

Canha, also 32, brings high on-base numbers to New York and will complement Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor as two of the few Mets who draw walks at an above-average rate. The veteran outfielder, who has an on-base percentage of .377 and a walk percentage of 13.3% over the last three seasons, has established himself as one of the league’s biggest on-base threats. Canha’s most productive season undoubtedly came in 2019, when he hit .273/.396/.517 with 26 home runs and a 146 wRC+ to go along with a 13.5 BB%. Just for reference, a walk percentage of 10% is considered to be above average, and Canha has not dipped below that mark since 2018. In 2021, Canha had an OBP of .358 and a walk percentage of 12.3 across 141 games. In his seven career seasons with Oakland, Canha has experience playing all three outfield positions, as well as first base. 

After an eventful evening, the Mets have at the very least added two veteran hitters who can play multiple positions, while proving that they can stay on the field for the majority of an 162-game season. Oh, and they’re both pretty darn good at baseball too. The Mets showed today that they are serious about competing in 2022. And this time it wasn’t just with insubstantial statements by Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson unaccompanied by any actual indication of a desire to be spenders. Through all the latest frustration and dysfunction, the Mets made it clear that their goal has not wavered, and they did so by making some great additions to their squad. Trust the process, Mets fans. Things are finally starting to look up for the Amazin’s in year two of the Steve Cohen era. 

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