New York Mets Go Shopping in the Bargain Bin Again, Sign Kelvim Escobar

The New York Mets signed a player on Christmas Eve, but it wasn’t the type of present Mets fans were expecting. Mets fans were hoping to wake up Christmas morning to either a Jason Bay or Matt Holliday under their tree.

Instead, they got a low-risk, high-reward signing.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post , the Mets have signed RHP Kelvim Escobar to a one-year, major league deal. No terms of the deal have been disclosed as of yet.

Escobar has pitched a grand total of five innings over the last two years, but Mets’ GM Omar Minaya felt that was good enough to give Escobar a major league deal. I am not sure why Minaya would give him a major league deal and not a minor league deal, but I don’t understand a lot of things Minaya does.

Escobar has missed the last two years because of a shoulder injury. Before that, he was a very effective starter for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim—for one year at least.

In his last healthy season with the Angels, Escobar went 18-7 with a very respectable 3.40 ERA. His 18 wins were good for sixth in the American League that year.

However, the Mets will not be asking Escobar to start, they will be asking him to come out of the pen. The Mets are hoping Escobar can compete with recently signed Japanese import Ryota Igarashi to be the eighth inning set-up man for closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Escobar does have experience coming out of the pen as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002. However, despite having 38 saves that year, Escobar had a very mediocre 4.27 ERA and WHIP of 1.53.

I really have my doubts as to whether or not Escobar can step in and be an effective set-up man right off the bat. For a pitcher not to have pitched in two years against major league talent and be expected to come in during a pressure situation on the first day is a lot to ask.

My guess is Escobar ends up pitching the sixth or seventh inning and Bobby Parnell ends up being the bridge to Rodriguez.

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