According to Adam Rubin of ESPN, the Mets have yet to speak to Yoenis Cespedes or his representatives regarding a contract past the 2016 season. Cespedes, who is expected to opt out of his current contract by Saturday, will be the premier outfield free agent this offseason at the age of 31. In 2016, he made the All Star team while hitting to the tune of a .280/.354/.530 slash line, blasting 31 homers and driving in 86 runs.
The Mets brass are skeptical that he will want to return to New York as they believe he will seek to maximize his paycheck. He will be looking for a five-year deal, and Sandy Alderson is known for his aversion to long-term contracts for veterans. In his case, though, many are worried about the effort he will put in once locked up in a long-term guaranteed contract.
If he departs for good, the Mets will pursue another source of offense, preferably a right-handed outfielder/first baseman. The name that immediately comes to mind is Mark Trumbo, however that might be a little much to ask for. The Mets have a plethora of left-handed-hitting outfielders including the likes of Curtis Granderson, Brandon Nimmo, Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto, so having another right-handed bat to compliment Juan Lagares against lefties would be prudent.
The Mets will be able to extend a $17.2M qualifying offer to Yoenis Cespedes, which he will accept once pigs fly through a frozen-over hell. If he signs elsewhere after declining that offer, the Mets would be compensated with a high-round draft pick in the 2017 draft.
