An MMO Fan Shot by Robert Walsh
Just wanted to get your thoughts as to what you think about the prospects and value of a strong 1-year pillow contract offer to Yoenis Cespedes. A strong $24-$26 million, one-year deal may be enough for him at the going rate.
It doesn’t sound as if he is going to get that 6-year/$150 million he’s looking for and next year’s free agent class is by far less crowded than this one meaning he may be better positioned to land the nine figure prize he and his agents are aiming for.
Also the Tigers, Angels and White Sox (notably the likeliest of all remaining landing spots) are all on the record touting that they would not go beyond a three year deal for him.
Given Cespedes’ age the time is ticking for him to cash in on that monstrous deal. A three year deal puts him in a bad spot to land his optimum value over the next six years. He may be willing to decline a three year deal somewhere for the prospect of proving his haters wrong and cashing in on that Powerball of a payday a year from now. If he took a three-year deal he would be 33 at the end of it.
I am also a strong proponent of what the Mets did with Neil Walker on getting players with one year left who are motivated for a large payday. You get a very high quality player seeking to prove themselves worthy of that sweet multiyear deal AND also very importantly a declined qualifying offer at the end of the year resulting in a high draft pick.
I would also argue that of the next six years, the Mets would likely be getting and paying for the most productive year for Cespedes (and Walker) at a much more affordable rate.
If Cespedes were to be open to a one-year offer wouldn’t it make sense for him to strongly consider a showcase spot with his most recent team? A team that just landed him an opportunity to show his talents off on the largest stage in baseball (obviously with regrettable outcomes)?
If he were to be amenable to a one year showcase it would behoove him to choose a team that is on the upside with a strong potential for a deep playoff run and almost equally important a weak division to play in.
The Mets may be in budget mode, but I like this deal for them. They could either hang on to the rest of their outfield or get smart and try to flip an asset like Juan Lagares or Alejandro De Aza (with his agreement) for a lock-down type arm to pair with Jeurys Familia for late inning relief.
This also adds the power bat that is still very much needed to protect the rest of the lineup and drive in runs. So while we have an an elite pitching staff, if we want to win games we will still need a lineup that can put up three or four runs a night – a valuable lesson from 2015 – if we want to be any better than .500.
Our coveted pitching staff is only going to be bargain basement cheap for another 2-3 years depending on when ownership gets smart and starts locking at least some of them up. Subject for another day… The time is now for the defending NL Champion Mets to spend like the team we are and pony up for that one or two extra pieces we need to ensure we are once again playing November baseball. Let’s Go Mets get this done already!!!
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