Terrible Angels trade just got worse thanks to the Mets

The Los Angeles Angels made the decision to acquire Eduardo Escobar in the middle of the 2023 season to try and improve their depth in the infield. Anthony Rendon and Zach Neto had both been out due to injuries, and they were trying to go all in on 2023 to retain Shohei Ohtani. In the deal, the Angels sent prospects Landon Marceaux and Coleman Crow to the Mets.

The trade made some sense at the time for a team trying to win. Crow and Marceaux were both top-30 Angels prospects, but that's not saying much in a system that is rated poorly. The Angels assumed a veteran with a solid track record in Escobar would be an average player for them. That gamble did not pay off, as Escobar performed horribly and the team collapsed not too long after acquiring him.

The biggest name the Angels gave up in the deal was Crow who had gotten off to a great start in AA before landing on the IL. It felt like he had a real shot at making his debut this past season at some point before the injury. Now, Crow has been traded again which might make you think the Angels look good, but it's for a much better return than what the Angels got.

LA Angels look even more foolish for Coleman Crow return after the Mets traded him for better value

Trading Crow and Marceaux isn't where the Angels went wrong. They were trying to win, and traded two arms that likely won't amount to be much of anything in exchange for a player they thought would help them win more games. The player they got in return is where Perry Minasian went wrong. Unfortunately, half a season of Escobar who put up a .563 OPS with the Angels is virtually nothing. That's all the Angels got.

The Mets were able to flip Crow to the Brewers in an offseason deal that netted them Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor. The Mets got two players for just Crow, while the Angels had to trade Crow AND Marceaux in exchange for just Escobar.

Neither Houser or Taylor blow anyone away, but they'll certainly be valuable pieces for the Mets in 2024. Houser has been a reliable back-end starter for the Brewers for a majority of his career, and Taylor is a fourth outfielder with three years of control. Again, the Angels traded Crow AND Marceaux for a rental. Yes, the Mets ate the Escobar money, but the trade looks just so much worse after what they pulled off for Crow.

The Angels won't suffer too much because of this deal, but they certainly don't come out of this looking good.

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