We already collected one round of reactions to the Yoenis Cespedes’ three-year, $75MM deal. Here are the stragglers.
- The Mets re-signing of Cespedes should go a long way towards restoring fan trust in the organization, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. The club has taken a lot of flak in recent years for perceived penny pinching and a failure to make big, meaningful moves in the offseason. Much of that can be blamed upon the Bernie Madoff scandal. It should encourage fans to see the team take advantage of a unique opportunity. Although Cespedes signed at a “discount,” the minimum commitment of $27.5MM in 2016 is still a substantial investment for the Wilpons.
- The deal is sensible for the Mets, writes Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. Using values provided by FanGraphs, Hoffman notes that Cespedes’ 2015 was worth over $50MM. Expecting regression, Hoffman estimates Cespedes will be worth about $20MM in each of the next few campaigns. While the one-year opt out means the Mets could be renegotiating next offseason, Cespedes will only trigger the opt out if he has a valuable season.
- Based on past performance, Cespedes could be a disaster in center field, writes Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs. However, Sullivan dives beyond the surface – 900 innings in center field spread over his major league career – to find other players like Cespedes. His biggest asset is superior arm strength. Two center fielders who rely on arm rather than range are Marcell Ozuna (-3 UZR/150) and Leonys Martin (15 UZR/150). Sullivan supposes that experience could help Cespedes run better routes and his elite arm can help to avert a complete disaster. Ozuna seems like a much more likely optimistic outcome than Martin.
- If the Mets won the deal, the Nationals and Angels were the losers, writes Mark Townsend of Yahoo. Cespedes was the last top-of-the-line free agent on the market. Now teams will sift through the decent remaining options like Dexter Fowler, Howie Kendrick, and Ian Desmond. The Angels have a particular need for firepower to fit around Mike Trout. In my opinion, Fowler and his high OBP would be an excellent fit batting ahead of Trout. Meanwhile, the Nationals pursuit of Cespedes always struck me as merely opportunistic. They didn’t have an obvious need for Cespedes. In my mind, they may have been assuring the Mets paid something to reacquire him.
I agree that the nationals motivation for offering cespedes a contract was at least in part driven by their desire to increase his cost to the mets, who unexpectedly beat them out for the division crown in 2015. Dexter Fowler in LA is an interesting fit, he along with trout and Calhoun is much more exciting than a nava/Gentry platoon. with angels ownership being reportedly not interested in going past the luxury tax threshold however, I don’t see how they sign him.
They could sign him or Jackson, barring a trade of Wilson…
Wilson, from reports I’ve read, has garnered actually a decent bit of attention, but teams only want to pay ten cents on the dollar for him…
The Angels might be better off holding Wilson, burning off some of his contract until mid-season, allowing him to re-build some value, and then trade him clearing space for another trade for an OF’er or acquiring an OF’er on a similarly expensive deal.
I think Fowler would fit great in the Angels line-up, they will just have to find a suitor for Wilson, but also their depth at SP isn’t a sure thing either…
If a Wilson deal is done relatively soon, they could take that money and get creative acquiring Fowler and a buy low candidate SP’er for some insurance in case some of their younger SP’ers cannot rebound from injury.
Either way, it should be an interesting story line to follow as spring training approaches.
How about Wilson to St.Louis , they have young outfielders to deal or the rockies.
No team wants Wilson. Even if you eat his contract, he’s not getting a top prospect/young, good and controllable OF back unless you package something more in return. Bravesfan88 is right, even if you trade Wilson and get an OF, the rotation is still extremely uninspiring. An old Weaver and Richards and a bunch of bounce back guys isn’t a good rotation.
Angels fan…….let’s see if I have this right…..the Cardinals wouldn’t sign Cespedes or Justin Upton because they liked their young outfielders better. And now you think they should turn around and trade one of them for CJ Wilson? Ha ha…………ha ha………..ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha, ha ha. Whew! That was a good one Angels fan!
Assuming the Mets get the same revenue boost the Yankees are reportedly getting when they go deep into the playoffs, which per the WSJ is 70 million per year, then an investment of 27.5 million in Cespedes in 2016 makes perfect sense. If he has a great year, and the Mets go to the dance again, maybe he walks, but they got their moneys worth. Insurance will take care of any injury concerns.
Nats and Marlins will be improved this year. NL East will be tougher, they needed him, plus they kept him away from the Nats who are looking more and more dysfunctional
I’d say the biggest losers are clearly the White Sox.. Giving up a draft pick for a 2nd/3rd tier outfielder or being stuck with Garcia..
Agreed
The off-season isn’t over quite yet, but so far I’d say the “losers” would have to be the Padres, Sox, and possibly even the Cardinals…
Although, at least the Padres unloaded Kimbrel for a sizeable haul..I’m just suprised they didn’t trade Cashner or any of their other SP’ers…Although, considering their horrible defense last year, which undoubtedly led to some of their starters struggles, I am not suprised teams were trying to only buy low on their available SP’ers.
Meh. Even with Cespedes, a deep run in the playoffs would’ve been a stretch for the Sox. The same cannot be said for the Nats or Angels.
WHAT?
The Nats and Angels are much better teams than the White Sox, who are probably the 25th most talented team in baseball as constructed. The White Sox are also in a division where all four other teams have CLEARLY and VASTLY superior talented rosters. Right now, I have the White Sox at about 72 wins and a 5th place finish. With a little luck, they could win 78, but that’s a stretch with as much as the Tigers improved and with the young and surging players the Indians and Twins have.
The White Sox needed Cespedes more than anyone needed any other single player in free agency this year. All that’s left now is to see what teams are willing to give for Abreu and Sale.
It’s really sad they didn’t do more to try and secure his services. With support dying for the franchise every year and the Cubs ready to take over, it’s likely when Reinsdorf sells the team in the next few years, they won’t be staying in Chicago.
Nooo the White Sox are going to get Austin Jackson. LOL Their going to announce it at Sox Fest. That dude can hit LMAO. He will at least get 7/280 ROTFLMAO.
If Jerry had any class he trade Frasier and Sales to the Cubs for the sake of Chicago winning a title and just move to Las Vegas with the Sox
You need help
Can the Angels really afford to give up a draft pick for Fowler? They have such a terrible farm system that I can’t see them letting go of a decently high first round pick.
After they traded Newcomb and Ellis to get Simmons, It’s the worst in the league once again, It won’t be worth it. The angels best bet is to wait to see if wilson is healthy then trade him in april to get their left fielder.
Disagree uncontested, white sox improved 1/3 of their position players so far this offseason. Too risky to spend on high priced free agent. Wait till trade deadline to see if they need to add or back up the bus.
Chisox next move will be a new manager.
This is a garbage argument. How could they not improve?
The had historically bad production. Of course they improved. The got decent role players and a low level star. But that isn’t enough. They’re still very far from competing within their division, let alone with the league. They’re still planning on having historically bad production from two positions. And even if they didn’t – filling all of their holes with mediocre players isn’t going to help them contend. They still won’t hit 80 wins, lets alone compete.
No, they needed Cespedes. Not signing him essentially means this team won’t be in Chicago when Reinsdorf hangs it up.
Wonder if the Nats are going to do anything now that they’ve been beaten for Cespedes’s services cause they clearly aren’t the favorites anymore.
Clearly?
Yes, clearly….
I’m giving the advantage to the mets to win the east, the rotation is scary.
anymore? The Nats haven’t been the favorites ever, just in the eyes of the deluded. Pundits act like theyre the Braves of the 90s with a guaranteed spot in the playoffs and time and again they prove how mediocre they are. Expect much of the same this year and forever until never.
Well, when Washington is in a historically terrible division, who are the pundits supposed to pick? The mets were a Cinderella team last year. Nobody picked that garbage roster to win that many games. They had a lot go right. Let’s see if they can repeat it again. They might. They also might have a storm of injuries like usual on top of negative regression. Well see.
Historically bad since the Braves become part of the NLE they have dominated it!!! and in 13 the Braves had 96 wins. Before the rebuild the Braves were a solid team and always performed better than the Nats and were never picked.. Good luck winning a playoff serious chokers…
My fault for not doing a better job of proofreading. *Hysterically* is what I intended. Also, I couldn’t care less about Washington.
Wsox will be cutting bait by Memorial Day
W Sox rebuild will officially begin just after Memorial Day, you are correct.
I’d rather see him in NY, than Chicago !
God I hope the white sox launch a full rebuild. Quintana should produce a nice haul, Frazier can return far better than what we have up to acquire him, danks and laroche gone next year, Abreu could return a great haul, melky could prolly get u 1 quality prospect or a couple take a chance type of guys, sale obviously would get the entire farm in a trade, David Robertson can get some quality prospects, zach Duke maybe another prospect or two, and the white sox keep all draft picks and utilize international spending and I believe white sox fan base would support that direction.
That is ridiculous. There is a solid team base good young talent and productive vets led by superstars on the mound and at the corners. Throw that all away? Silly
As constructed they would struggle to win 75 games. They don’t even have the best rotation in that division. Depending on the rotation to be that much of a difference is exactly why they have been winning 70 games every year.
Don’t understand why the Mets want to play Cespedes in CF. They already have a solid defensive CFer. Play him in a corner of position.
The corners are already set. Granderson was one of the better bats for the mets last year and Conforto, in LF, is one of the more exciting young bats in the league. Legares is great with the glove but he regressed last year both in the field and at the plate.
$27.5M for a'”pillow year” is not bad scratch, so both player and team may have benefitted from this. If Cespedes has a solid year, he opts out, and would likely get a better economic deal, in total, than the Washington offer. If he’s injured or craters, he’s still got another $48M to fall back on.
Angels losers? lol. They are winners for holding off signing a player to another big contract. Fowler is not worth the draft pick, I prefer the gentry/nava duo at that point. The best option was Denard Span or Parra now there the Halos lost.
If Mets fans are still whining about not spending even AFTER finding out the reason isn’t greed on the part of the Wilpons but Madoff then I don’t know what to say anymore. Thats’ blindly griping/hating something just because you’re bored and have nothing to do. Most in the baseball world have known about this for years and have been more than understanding…. To those who took their gripes into 2016 and up to the day of the Cespedes signing really need to go outside and take in some air.
It is because of their greed. They have to pay back the profits that they made from Madoffs scams. They cashed in early and made out like bandits and are being forced to return the money. Had they nit have been greedy in the first place this never would have happened.
No one wants to play for the Nationals ROTFLMAO
The Sox are going to sign Austin Jackson as thier big signing. LOL That dude can hit LMAO. They announce it at Sox Fest. They shoudl give that dude 8 at 280 ROTFLMAO.
Seriously now – If Jerry had any class and any respect for the city of Chicago he should trade Sales and Frasier to the Cubs for the sake of Chicago, and move to Las Vegas TBH!