2 Former Milwaukee Brewers Third Basemen Traded To AL West contender

The Milwaukee Brewers have a history of adding a few different rental third baseman over the years when they were looking to better position themselves at previous trade deadlines. During the 2018 season they added Mike Moustakas and then re-signed him for one more additional year in 2019. In 2021, they added Eduardo Escobar but then lost him in free agency to the New York Mets.

Entering the 2023 season Mike Moustakas signed with the Colorado Rockies. He had previously signed a big contract with the Cincinnati Reds but was designated for assignment during the offseason. This move left the Reds eating the remaining $22 million he was owed and the Rockies signing him for the league minimum.

In New York Eduardo Escobar had previously signed a player friendly deal with the Mets. He is making $9.5 million this year and has a $9 million club option for 2024. Despite this contract he ended up losing every day playing time at third base to prospect Brett Baty.

Interestingly, within a short two day span, these two players will now be joining forces as the Los Angeles Angels have traded for both of them. Injuries to Gio Urshela and Anthony Rendon have left the playoff hopeful Angels scrambling to re-add pieces to their infield.

Former Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar have both been traded to the Los Angeles Angels.

Eduardo Escobar was the first to be traded to the Los Angeles Angels. The cost to acquire him was two top 30 pitching prospects from the Angles system in Coleman Crow and Landon Marceaux. As mentioned above LA will have the option to retain him for the 2024 season. The combination of an additional year of control and the desperation of the Angels drove up his cost.

Mike Moustakas was acquired second by the Angels, but the deal was executed within 48 hours of the Escobar trade being announced. This trade cost the Angels minor league pitcher Connor Van Scoyoc. This deal was not as costly as the trade with the Mets, but it does help shore up LA's infield depth. It also is interesting that this move was made hours after the Angels pummeled the Rockies by a score of 25-1 in which Moustakas now gets to simply switch club houses and put that demoralizing defeat behind him.

It should be interesting to watch from a far as to how these two former Milwaukee Brewers players perform for the Angels. They both have experience as mid-season additions to playoff contending teams, so time will tell if they can help break LA's playoff drought.