DUNEDIN, Fla. — Former all-star Eduardo Escobar is the latest addition to the glut of infielders vying for playing time with the Toronto Blue Jays, signed to a minor-league deal Friday that gives him a chance to win a job with the club.
The 35-year-old switch-hitter is a well-regarded veteran and teammate who has hit 20 or more home runs five times in 13 big-league seasons. But he’ll be looking to rebound with the Blue Jays after he batted .226/.269/.344 in 99 games between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels last season.
“We'll see,” manager John Schneider said when asked how Escobar fits into the mix. “Excited to see him. Obviously he's had a great, long major-league career and he's in here competing with a lot of other guys for that infield utility role. We'll see how it shakes out, how he's moving around and things like that. But, I'm excited to add him to the fold, for sure.”
Later Friday, the Blue Jays also reached agreement on a minor-league deal with left-handed hitting slugger Daniel Vogelbach, pending a physical, according to an industry source.
Vogelbach was briefly with the Blue Jays in 2020, appearing in two games, so the club is familiar with him. Last season with the Mets, the 31-year-old .233/.339/.404 with 13 homers in 319 plate appearances over 104 games.
He figures to compete for a bench spot, where his career .814 OPS against right-handed pitchers can be optimized. The Mets used him exclusively as a DH and pinch-hitter last year and he logged just five innings at first base in 2022 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Escobar has primarily been a third baseman in the majors, with 796 games on the hot corner, but also has played 330 games at shortstop, 159 at second base and 45 in the outfield.
Schneider said the Blue Jays see him “probably between third and second, those two spots, the majority of the time” and added that “competition is a good thing. Giving him a shot and see how he looks.”
Escobar joins a crowded Blue Jays infield mix that also includes Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement vying for playing time at second and third base. Prospects like Orelvis Martinez, Addison Barger and Damiano Palmegiani are pushing upwards, too, while veteran Justin Turner may get the occasional rep at third.
Speaking to media Thursday before the signing, GM Ross Atkins said “it's good to have some level of competition throughout your camp,” and added the division of playing time “will be dependent upon the work that went into this off-season, the progress players have made and then this spring training will be telling for us.”
