December 6, 8:00 PM
Assistant GM spoke to reporters at the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday and said that there’s little chance that Yoenis Cespedes would be returning to the Mets.
“It’s unlikely right now that he ends up a Met,” Ricco said. “I still think he’s looking at a deal that would be north of what we would consider.”
Ricco said that the Mets have have been in contact with Cespedes’ representatives as recently as a week ago and expect to speak with his agents at Roc Nation at some point during the Winter Meetings, but added they have other players the Mets might have interest in. (ESPN New York)
“Whether we have a specific meeting to talk about Cespedes, I’m not sure,” Ricco said. “They have other players. I imagine we’ll meet with them, and as part of that conversation his name will come up.”
“I would view it as pretty unlikely that we do anything with him (Cespedes). But you never know how the market is going to develop. So I wouldn’t rule it out completely.”
And that’s exactly what I tried to point out earlier today. There’s a good chance that Cespedes’ price could drop to a point that could have the Mets reevaluating their stance and making a play for him.
All I’m saying is that it’s still early and a lot of things could still change as markets evolve one way or another.
December 6, 2:00 PM
For those of you still holding out hope that the Mets will sign Yoenis Cespedes, here are a few things to consider.
First, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out some of the factors that may not get Cespedes that huge $180 million dollar contract he was reportedly looking for.
“He brings power, defense and flair, plus showed he could carry a contender for an extended period. But his poor postseason raised questions if he is just a guy who feasts on poor pitching. Also — justified or not — there is worry about Cespedes, the person.”
“Will he listen to coaching? Will long-term security lower his motivation? These are not things being heard about the other big outfielders in the market, such as Jason Heyward and Alex Gordon. It is one reason you keep hearing from some executives that he will be challenged to top $100 million. I think he will do that — by quite a bit. But it will have to be with a team that has gained comfort with not just the player, but the man.”
There have been some reports that the market for Cespedes could dip so much that it could allow the Mets to get back into the mix.
One National League GM told Jim Bowden of ESPN, “When you look at him now maybe the worst thing that could have happened was how much he raised his stock after he got to New York. Everyone was talking about $150 million, and I don’t see that now. So it’s almost like he lost money he never had.”
If the process continues to drag on and let’s say Cespedes is looking more at a deal worth $100 million, should the Mets jump on it? I’d say that would be an emphatic yes on my part.
Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News is reporting that the Angels may make a run at Cespedes, but the only other team with reported interest has been the Giants and even those rumors have died down.
Cespedes, 30, is still one of the premier power hitters in the league and if you’re the Mets, you would have to strongly consider bringing him back.
The Mets saw first hand what an impact he made on the team as he literally carried them to the postseason. It’s hard to ignore the numbers he posted last season – a .291/.328/.542 slash with 42 doubles, 9 triples, 35 home runs and 105 RBI along with a 6.3 WAR.
I understand the concerns Sherman raises, but I could hardly see that as a deal-breaker if you can get a player of Cespedes’ caliber for around $100 million give or take a few. At least that’s my take of the situation. What’s yours?
