Reclamation projects: 5 free agent hitters and 4 pitchers the Blue Jays should pursue

Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar has had quite the career so far in the 13 years he's been in the big leagues. Having suited up for six different teams over that period, he has put together a nice resumé in terms of his offensive production and performance. With the ability to play multiple positions in the infield as well, it gives him the added flexibility for a team to deploy him wherever help was needed.

For the 2023 season, it was actually the first time in a long time that Escobar was no longer an everyday starter for a team. Splitting his time between the Mets and Angels as a part-time player, Escobar registered some of his worst production numbers since when he broke into the league. In 99 games, he batted .226 with a .613 OPS, along with 32 runs scored, 6 doubles, 5 triples, 6 home runs and 31 RBI.

However, he is only two years removed from his 28-homer, 90 RBI All-Star season in 2021, and 20-homer, 69 RBI season in 2022. So Escobar has shown he can get the job done in terms of offence when given starting time duties. If he were to join the Jays, he can cover third base along with occasionally making starts at second when needed, given his flexibility in playing all positions in the infield. For a Jays’ team that was hungry for offence all last season, Escobar would be the perfect antidote to that problem for the ballclub.