First of all, I can’t take credit for formulating this entire idea on my own. It was a Twitter conversation involving my brother that actually started me down this line of thinking. Red Sox outfielder Yoenis Céspedes was acquired at the trading deadline from the Oakland Athletics for their long time ace Jon Lester. He is a pure power corner outfielder, just the type of guy the Mets need heading into next season.
There are a few things that stand in the way of the Mets making this deal.
1. Why would the Red Sox give him up? After trading away Lester they obviously like his talent and fit in the lineup. What works against the Red Sox are the guys they already have on the roster. With Allen Craig signed for next year and Rusney Castillo likely to take over in center, that leaves one vacant outfield spot. If the Sox are ready to get young, they may want Mookie Betts in the lineup. That leaves an overflow, especially with the return of Shane Victorino next season.
2. What do the Mets have that the Red Sox might want? Obviously the Mets will look to trade this offseason from a position of strength. They have one of the best farm systems in baseball when it comes to pitching and they have it at all levels. It’s likely that they’ll want to center a trade around a guy like Noah Syndergaard but in this case I’m not sure it would even take that. Without Lester (unless he resigns as a free agent), the Sox don’t have a bonafide ace and their rotation from top to bottom is very weak. Instead of trading for a top pitching prospect, it might make more sense to deal for a guy like Jon Niese or Dillon Gee (or both). They are major league ready and could fill immediate gaps in the rotation.
It would obviously take more than Niese or Gee. The Red Sox are without a third baseman heading into next year and the Mets have a few guys that have the potential to fill that void. Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores are the two that come to mind. Both would provide a bat in the lineup and can do an average job with the glove. Beyond those two players, it’s hard to say what the Sox would want. Would they want another top catching prospect like Kevin Plawecki to pair with Black Swihart? Would they want Rafael Montero or one of the Mets young relievers? Until the season ends and free agency begins this will be tough to gauge. Either way, I believe the Mets have enough players to get a trade like this done.
3. Can the Mets find the money? The final piece of this puzzle is also the most interesting. If Sandy Alderson sends a plethora of young talent up to Boston for Céspedes, the Mets will need to make sure he’s here for the long haul. This can’t be a one year solution if you’re giving up the type of talent it will likely take. Céspedes is signed through through 2015 at $10.5 million. It will make sense for the Red Sox to want to trade him if they don’t feel he is worth resigning and that want could play into the Mets hand if they’re willing to open up their wallets.
Jeff Wilpon stated yesterday that the team would have payroll flexibility and why not demonstrate that by signing this guy to an extension? He’ll be 27 when next season starts and has averaged 28 home runs per year to pair with 165 hits (average over 162 games). This is the type of player the Mets desperately need and I believe there is a trade here that fits both sides. The real question will be, once he’s here will the Mets have the resources to get him locked up longterm?
