Scouts are buzzing over Yoenis Cespedes, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, but not necessarily over his power. Some clocked Cespedes at 3.9 seconds from home plate to first base in beating out a grounder to Jimmy Rollins in Game 3 of the NLDS, Heyman writes, and that burst of elite speed just serves as a demonstration of the rare blend of power and quickness he brings to the table. One anonymous GM from a club not expected to pursue Cespedes told Heyman he expects the outfielder to land a contract in the vicinity of $150MM over a six-year term. The Mets have never spent at that level, but Heyman notes that despite having a stable outfield situation, the team very much wants to retain him.
A few more notes from the NL East as the Mets begin preparation for a decisive Game 5 in the NLDS after falling to Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers 3-1 in Game 4…
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines that Kim Ng is the best fit for the Phillies’ general manager vacancy. Brookover spoke to bench coach Larry Bowa, who knows Ng well from his time working for the Yankees and Dodgers while she was an assistant GM in those organizations. Bowa spoke highly about Ng’s baseball acumen, and Brookover notes that having worked in front offices and for the league’s central offices dating back to 1991, Ng would have a wide base of connections from which to draw when making scouting and baseball operations hires.
- MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro provides a breakdown of the Marlins’ managerial search, outlining five factors to keep an eye on as the process plays out. Frisaro backs up recent reports that owner Jeffrey Loria is particularly interested in Don Mattingly, but there’s no indication yet that he’ll be dismissed from the Dodgers, and if he’s not, the Dodgers would seek compensation to allow him to go to Miami. Frisaro also looks at the possible implications for the coaching staff and emphasizes that the Marlins will seek prior managing experience in any candidates.
- While the Nationals have a nice core in place, there’s at least somewhat of a split opinion on whether or not the team should continue trying to put together a winner this offseason or embark on somewhat of a rebuild, sources from the team’s board of directors and front office tell ESPN’s Jim Bowden (ESPN Insider subscription required). Bowden opines that a bat to complement Bryce Harper in the middle of the lineup, a proven starter (even with Joe Ross likely able to step into the rotation) and sorting out the Jonathan Papelbon/Drew Storen mess should top the Nats’ priority list this winter.
I too hope the Mutts spend 150 Million on a 32 Yr old Outfielder.
It’s not the 2017 offseason. Yoenis is just turning 30.
Who are the Mutts?!??
Interesting that Cespedes has elite speed and otherwise rates as a decent baserunner (per Fangraph’s baserunning runs above average stat) but nonetheless turned in a 7:5 SB:CS ratio this year. It seems like base stealing is an area he could really work on in the off-season and/or in spring training to bring even more value to his game.
Good observation and not the first time we’ve seen something like this. Basestealing is more about reading the pitcher and getting a good jump then it is about raw speed. Billy Hamilton also got caught quite a bit in 2014 and he has the best raw speed in the game. Worked on his jump and this season was 57/8.
Could you imagine if Cespedes worked on his basestealing skills and started swiping 25-30 bags a season? He’s got the speed. That $150 mil could have been $175-200 easy.
Why do teams keep falling for free agents like this?
Exactly my thought every offseason. I don’t understand why teams have such a short memory. They should at least pull up his Fangraphs or Baseball Reference page where they can see he has had a low OBP every year except his rookie year and this year. He seems to be just another contract player. Some fans are going to be very disappointed paying him $25+ million when he returns to his .750 OPS days. Especially, a team like the Mets, who are notoriously cheap.. Although, the Bobby Bonilla payouts end in another 15 years or so, I guess they can just start his deferments then..
Its ok if they want another contract year, J. Bay type of player haha.
Jason Bay would take a walk, Cespedes swings at everything and is having what most people know as a contract season.
Teams tend to fall for free agents when they have a glaring need at a position. Look at the Yankees and chase headley. He’s not worth the money he’s making, he just got lucky in the sense that he was the best 3rd baseman available at a time where the Yankees needed one. It doesn’t matter if they’re a perennial all star, or a really nice role player, someone somewhere is going to overpay if they really need that position.
Carlos Beltran ring a bell? It took a long time for him to stay consistant after his 8hr postseason performance.
Same reason why people spend money on the lottery. They partly think they’re going to win the big one and partly think if they don’t buy then that was the one they would have won.
I hope Kim Ng gets the job.. Anybody named after computer code should be fantastic at analytics.
Cespedes is a freak of nature. What excites me about Cespedes is also what scares me about him. I don’t think we’ve even seen the peak of his talent yet. The reason this scares me is in Boston and Detroit he seemed to just be going through the motions. In New York, he’s running out every ground ball, he’s swinging with more authority and confidence and he’s emerging as a leader in the clubhouse.
I just feel like we didn’t get a chance to see this guy in Boston and Detroit and it worries me if anyone outside of New York gives him $150 mil.
I think you just described the reason to fear him as a FA. Will he be the same player with the big paycheck? I think we got a good idea of his capabilities this year with both the Tigers and Mets. That said, I’m a Red Sox fan… I’m skeptical of any FA who wants a large paycheck.
Agreed. I honestly think they guy just always wanted to be in New York and when he got his opportunity he didn’t miss it. I remember him saying early on his preference was NY. As a Sox fan myself, I didn’t like hearing it.
Cespedes was terrific in Detroit, offensively and defensively, and I saw every game he played there. He is not Pete Rose but few talented players are.
Oh don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean to insult his performance in Detroit. An .829 OPS is nothing to snuff at. I just think he’s even better then that .829 mark. I don’t think the .900+ OPS is a fluke. I think that’s Cespedes when he’s committed and engaged.
Its not just his power that went up. he stole 3 and got caught 4 times in Detroit. He stole 4 and got caught once in half the games with the Mets. Part of that is not hitting around Cabrera, sure. But it says something.
He just seems to play with a different energy with the Mets then I’ve seen since he came to MLB. He showed flares of it his first season in Oakland, but it faded.
You bring up a very unheralded FA in Alex Gordon. His best landing spot this winter would be with the Yankees, he could turn into a beast with that short RF wall. just like Johnny Damon, Drew and countless other LH hitters with little power have managed to put up decent HR power there, Gordon, who is stacked with muscles, could turn into a serious MVP caliber player.. Only the Yanks have seemingly little payroll flexibility and a filled up OF with big money tied to Ells, Gardner and Beltran for another year and it would be hard to move any of that trio, except for *maybe* Gardner.
Heyward or Cespedes at the same contract years and dollars?
Virtually identical WAR. But Heyward is 3 years younger and derives more of his value from defense.
Maybe the correct answer is neither. Get Gordon for less $s.
Unless you can get Gordon for three years or less, I don’t see any way you put him in the same group. He’ll be a 32-year-old outfielder whose one big-value season was fueled by defense and is coming off injuries even if you didn’t already have a (reasonable) concern about a one-year flash spike in defensive value.
If the dollars and years are the same for Cespedes and Heyward, the no-brainer one to sign is Heyward. Heyward is a better overall player, and even at more money and more years, he’s still a better signee than Cespedes. Cespedes likely will get a 6 year deal in the $150M range (I think he falls just short) from someone, but it won’t be the Mets. He’ll get signed by someone you never see coming. Heyward will get an 7-8 year deal around $200M. He doesn’t hit too many home runs, but he’s elite in almost every other aspect of the game. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Nationals or Dodgers making a big run at him.
Would be fantastic to have a female GM in Baseball. About time.
I think it happens this year, or at least, a very realistic shot. Her age imo is her flaw. I would look for more experience, age 35 is about the youngest I’d go, unless they had obvious blow you away credentials. With Andy MacPhail being both the President and GM… Ng would only be in name the GM. Its a nice chance for her to get more experience and heat for her opinions. Will see, she may not want to be a lapdog if offered the position, because thats whats goign to happen in philly, whoever the new GM is… MacPhial is running the show, period.
Kim Ng is 47. And she has obvious blow-you-away credentials. And the GM/President split is increasingly the way front offices are shaping up and she (or whoever they hire) will no more be a lapdog than Jed Hoyer, Farhan Zaidi, Rick Hahn or any of the other GMs reporting to a President of Baseball Ops are.
It’s really easy to say that somebody has “blow you away credentials” but we don’t know what the Phillies or anyone else who she interviewed with were looking for. Obviously they weren’t looking for what she had to offer. This is not directed at anyone in this thread but I have seen comments that it is an “embarrassment” that she hasn’t gotten a job yet, but thats not true, she will get the right job when it comes along and the president/ownership/whoever agrees with her vision and philosophy in building an organization.
I think it’s more important for the Phillies to have the best GM than to hire the first woman. If Ng is the best and most qualified—and none of us know that, not even the beat reporters—then she should get the job. I don’t care what gender the GM is as long as he/she is qualified.