We’ve heard that the Mets aren’t particularly interested in another protracted dalliance with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, with GM Sandy Alderson saying that the team would prefer to know its course with regard to the superstar before the end of the Winter Meetings in early December. That’s still a month away, of course, but it certainly seems reasonable to expect that Cespedes’s market will move more quickly this offseason than it did last. Still, there’s no single, clear suitor (beyond the incumbent Mets) for his services, so there’s plenty of room for the market to develop — with trades and other signings potentially having a role in how it all shakes out.
Here are a few notes on Cespedes from the GM Meetings:
- There’s no question that the Mets want to retain Cespedes, as MLB.com’s Barry Bloom reports. Alderson said today that the team would prefer to sign him, “all things considered,” though the question remains just how much cash (and how many years) the organization will put on the table. New York has already reached out to Cespedes’s camp to begin talks, as he weighs a qualifying offer that he’s certain to reject. “Oh yeah, we’ve reached out to him,” Alderson said. “We expect to have more conversations with them in the next few days. His agent will be out here somewhere. I’m sure you’ll talk to him. It all remains to be seen what direction it takes.”
- Somewhat intriguingly, there’s another New York team that has expressed interest, though it’s far from clear how serious a pursuit should be expected. The Yankees have spoken with Cespedes’s representatives at CAA, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag, though GM Brian Cashman said that the expectation is the team will utilize internal options in the outfield. And the Yanks have also reached out to a variety of other potential free agent targets, including departing Blue Jays power hitter Jose Bautista. All told, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any particular reason to think the Bronx Bombers are readying to move on either veteran slugger, though Cashman did note that “things could change if we move money.”
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo also fielded questions on Cespedes, saying that the outfielder “improves any team he plays for,” as Joel Sherman of the New York Post was among those to report. Rizzo noted that the club feels comfortable with Bryce Harper in center and Trea Turner at short, which could open the door to another pursuit of Cespedes — who spurned the Nats last winter to take a deal with the Mets that allowed him to return to the market this winter. As Sherman notes, the Nationals have strategic reasons to drive up the bidding on Cespedes, even if they aren’t truly keen on spending big to add him, but it also seems clear that the organization has a realistic interest in pursuing him at the right price.
I think it’s highly unlikely that the Yanks sign YO. Just like It’s highly unlikely the Yanks trade Ells..
I agree. I foresee them holding out to sign an age-friendly superstar along the lines of Machado, Trout, Harper. If I had to guess, my money would be on Machado specifically. Obviously, that’s not to say they don’t have the money for multiple big signing, but yeah.
I was thinking the same thing. There could also be a reason why the Yanks kept A-rod around after the release. Machado was A-rod’s prodigy.
Prodigy?
Machado trained and was mentored by a-rod.
Unless the Wilpons revert back to the Coupons, Yo will be back in Queens. He does not want to leave, that was apparent last off-season, and in 2016 he cemented himself as the fan favorite and face of the everyday player Mets. Thor probably for the pitchers.
They must bring him back, who knows what the trio of back surgery patients in the infield in Wright-Walker-Duda. Walker is now the most overpaid 2B, and taking Reyes out of the everyday lineup.
I love the kids on the farm, Nimmo, Gavin C., Dom Smith who I hope ends the season at 1B.
Not resigning Colon was smart, but they just reversed that by giving Walker a qualifying offer to get a pick if he rejected the offer like Cespedes, but he did NOT so we are on the hook.
And the Nats are going to drive the price up on Yo, thats a FACT. They MUST give him 4 years at nearly $30M per. That would satisfy him, and give him another contract at age 34, the same age they overpaid Grandy for!!!!!!!!!! These are his prime years.
This is Beltran all over again, give him the damn money, his WAR is probably approaching DOUBLE DIGITS, basically the difference between Yo and Lagares, and 10 games is contending for the division, take those 10 wins away and we are scratching and clawing for a WC spot IF all 5 “aces” return and cumulatively pitch 80% of the season.