Whither Yoenis Cespedes?
At the end of the 2015 season, it was all but a foregone conclusion that he would not be returning to the Mets. He was great to have around for the stretch run and his production propelled an erstwhile feeble offense to heights not seen around here since 2006. He just hit and hit and hit. Then he hit some more. Yes, he cooled down considerably in the playoffs, but we all know that without him, the Mets wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the post-season. So retaining him would naturally be high on most Met fans’ wish list. But as we’ve seen with this front office/ownership – especially ownership – money is, indeed, an object and the days of throwing gobs of green at just any old slag are long gone. Besides a natural aversion to handing out another Jason Bay-type deal, the Wilpons’ wherewithal to do so disappeared into the Madoffian night. So when Cespedes let it be known that he was seeking a six year contract, at a figure of at least $150 million, we prepared ourselves to thank him for his yeoman service and bid him adios.
But a funny thing has happened on the way to that mega-contract: no one else has offered it to him so far, either. He’s been linked to the Giants, to the Orioles, to the Tigers, to the Phillies, most recently to the Braves…and back to the Mets. Yes, as incredible as it may sound and for all the public posturing by Sandy Alderson and John Ricco, the Mets are somehow still in this thing. Many MSM pundits – including Jon Heyman – count the Mets among Cespedes’s suitors as his asking price inevitably comes down. It would appear the rest of baseball shares the Mets’ aversion to giving a long-term deal to a streaky hitter who may or may not be a liability in the outfield, depending on his mood. As a result, every time someone says the Mets are “not in” on Cespedes, some rumor to the contrary surfaces. If you’ll pardon the groan-inducing pun in the title of this piece, the optimism of a Met fan rises and falls with each passing day that Cespedes stays on the market.
By now, he has to have come down from his six-year demand. He may be down to four. If that’s the case, the Mets can most definitely make a play. Your intrepid columnist has long held the opinion that the New York offer should be something like four years/$80 million total. To sweeten the pot a little, include an opt-out clause after year two. That might be appealing to someone like Cespedes, who may want to wait until the crowded free-agent market for outfielders thins out after this year. It would be worth a shot.
In this Yoenis Cespedes Derby, are the Mets the favorite? Not by a long shot. But they’re not exactly up the track, yet, either.
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Please….please….sign this kid. It’s a game-changer. I can see the billboard in Times Square now.
But as you say as his asking price comes down more teams will be added to the pot. I don’t know if it’s true but the last i read was 100 million+ for 6 years. The Tigers have Victor Martinez as their primary DH so Cespedes would have to play the outfield since Miggy is at first base. I just don’t see the Orioles pursuing him unless Davis signs elsewhere. Cespedes is a handful. If he can’t play alongside Big Papi who is a well respected team mate, then where? Toronto? The FO still has their foot in the door but that’a about it.
It could be a great summer!
To be realistic here you think cespedes signing with the mets is still a possibility, I dont because then that means the mets will have not one but two fairly expensive bench players in lagares and deaza.
De Aza could be traded during spring training as teams always suffer injuries. Use Lagares as a late inning defensive replacement while moving Cespedes to LF. JL can be used to rest Grandy and Comforto on occasion. But I don’t see the Mets signing Cespedes. Baltimore just made an offer of 90 million for 5 years. Too rich for our “poor” beloved Met ownership.
Think I’m in the minority, but we still make the playoffs last year without Yo. He put up some gaudy numbers, but the best was against garbage teams after we’d clinched.
If he’s available for cheap and on a deal that protects the team, I’m ok bringing him back. But I couldn’t get behind a long-term deal; he’s shaky in center and is an all-or-nothing player who peaked last summer.
How about putting Cespedes in RF full-time, with Granderson in CF against RHP and Lagares there against LHP (with him in the OF sometimes instead of Conforto)? Granderson will be gone in two more years, so signing Cespedes for four years (ages 30-33) sounds OK to me. He’s worth at least $80 million for that stretch.
It appears that the market for Cespedes and Upton may wait until Chris Davis signs somewhere. There’s no rush.
If they make an offer, the Mets should go for two years with an option tied to production incentives. Going for a longer term deal ties up future money that the team should target for their younger players, especially the pitchers.
I don’t think there’s a chance in hell the Mets sign this guy. It’s an Internet fantasy.
But I’ve been wrong before!
Yeah, all this is dressing to placate the sadness of purchasing the DeAza contract.
Cespedes career avg is 30 homeruns and an 805 OPS. He is a right handed power bat that adequately plays a premier position. He doesn’t cost a draft pick. He is 30 years old. He has already shined in the New York market. He is averaging a career 3.9 bWAR. A $20+m annual salary is reasonable in this market. Baltimore offered 5/90. Mets should top this if they have the money. It would makes the offense so much stronger.
Its hard to argue with what you say, but Im not crazy about his CF play. He provides solid RH thump we need. No way the Mets go 5/100 after what Alderson said.
Yesterday Francessa was saying that Cespedes refuses to play right field. Is there truth to this? If so, it would help explain our hesitance to signing him to anything beyond a year or two.
On Yoenis, it bothers me that Terry was afraid of upsetting him. I don’t think enough was said about TC’s decision to let him bat in the WS after fouling that ball off his knee. He could barely walk. It was a critical moment.
I think that it possibly says more about Cespedes than it does about Collins.
Has Sandy ever, in five years, signed someone when there was competition from another team? I don’t think he believes in it. Probably believes that it’s an inflationary dynamic that inevitably leads to bad contracts. Not saying he’s right or wrong. But Sandy isn’t into bidding wars, and he’s not the type of shopper who goes out and gets his guy at any cost. Personally, as I’ve maintained all along, I don’t think Cespedes is an “at any cost” talent. Too many red flags.