2014: .260 AVG – 36 2B – 22 HR – 100 RBI – .719 OPS
Appearing on MLB Network Radio, GM Ben Cherington said the Red Sox will listen to trade proposals for all of their outfielders, but that they’re not eager to deal any one of them including Yoenis Cespedes.
“By this time we’ve talked to just about every team. Several teams have asked about our outfielders, not any one in particular. Because we have some depth there, theoretically, we’ve gotten asked on that, particularly with teams that may match up. I’m not ruling out getting into a trade conversations where we might match up. But there is no particular player that we’re looking to move, including Cespedes.”
Many are speculating that the Red Sox will need to trade an outfielder this winter, with Cespedes, Mookie Betts and Daniel Nava among those players teams will be most interested in.
Cespedes is in the final year of his contract which will pay him $10.2 million in 2015. The buzz from Boston beat writers is that the Red Sox are looking for high end prospects and particularly MLB ready starting pitchers.
Sandy Alderson has been reluctant to move young arms like Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom for an impact bat with three or more years of team control in the past. That means there’s zero chance he moves either of them for a one year rental.
Also working against the Mets is payroll limitations. Both ownership and Alderson have said there will be no spike in payroll for 2015. The team is already tasked with having to consider trading one of Daniel Murphy, Dillon Gee or Jon Niese, just so they can squeeze out some flexibility to fill a need.
Cespedes recently switched agencies to Roc Nation Sports, and the logical conclusion is that he won’t agree to any extension and is committed to free agency after next season. Jon Heyman predicts that as many as 10 teams will have serious interest in Cespedes this Winter.
Even if the Mets were to give up the young arm Boston wants, then you have the question on whether the Mets have the resources to add another $100 million dollar player when they already have David Wright and Curtis Granderson set to earn $36 million combined annually for the next three years? That would mean having over $50 million – and nearly two-thirds of the payroll – concentrated on three players.
