Yoenis Cespedes still remains without a team for 2016. The offseason has progressed, so we’ll look at the 5 most likely teams to land the star outfielder.
By Gregg Cambareri
The 30 year old Cuban outfielder had a career year in 2015, which you would think has lined him up for a big pay day. Considering Jason Heyward is the only major outfielder to have signed a long term deal thus far, speculation around Cespedes’s market remains skeptical.
Several teams such as the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Cubs, have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars, mostly on pitching upgrades. This has somewhat limited the market for remaining positional players, Cespedes obviously being one of them.
Why hasn’t Cespedes signed yet? The answer is complicated.
Firstly, he just turned 30, and is seeking a deal of at least 6 years. Teams might be reluctant to make long term commitments to players age 30 or older, considering the disastrous looking deals given to players like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and Robinson Cano.
While he won’t come attached with draft pick compensation, he has played for 4 teams over the past 2 years. That certainly raises red flags about his character, although he seemed to enjoy his time in New York.
Lastly, the contract he is seeking probably won’t be anywhere near his actual worth. He posted a career best 6.3 WAR, after never having a 4.0+ WAR season before. He also recorded career highs in slugging, OPS, total bases, homers, RBI’s, runs scored, and hits. The likelihood of Cespedes coming anywhere close to last season’s monstrous stat line is low.
His sub-par plate discipline, lackadaisical hustle in the outfield, and high strike out rate are also certain to scare GM’s away from a long term commitment. While he did notch his first career gold glove this past season, there are plenty of weaknesses in his game.
After you’ve lined up the pros and cons of Cespedes’s game, you are left with an elite, yet inconsistent talent, and a polarizing figure. He’s going to command big bucks at some point, from some desperate enough team, just who might that team be?
Let’s take a look at 5 teams where Cespedes could sign this offseason.Embed from Getty Images
San Fransisco Giants
2016 is an even year, so you can expect the San Fransisco Giants to be competitive. After spending a combined $210 million on starting pitching upgrades, the Giants next order of business looks like it could be left field.
While Gregor Blanco has done a serviceable job in multiple outfield positions, GM Bobby Evans could be on the hunt for an upgrade in left, pushing Blanco to more of a reserve role and giving his club more depth off the bench.
The Giants have shown no fear of spending this offseason, but will another $100+ million contract be in the cards? It’s hard to say after the money they’ve committed to Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija, but the expectation to win will be high out by the bay, given the three championships won in San Fran since 2010.
Imagine Buster Posey and Cespedes sandwiched into the middle of a lineup. That potential will make the Giants players for Cespedes, but it’ll have to be at their price. They’ll be in the mix for the star Cuban, but only if they feel they aren’t overpaying. Embed from Getty Images
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox could be somewhat of surprise players for Cespedes. The main question is whether they want to surpass last season’s modest $115 million payroll mark, which ranked right in the middle of the league on opening day.
If they can muster up the cash for Cespedes, the middle of their lineup becomes star studded. Uniting Cespedes with fellow countryman Jose Abreu and the newly acquired Todd Frazier would give the Sox some serious firepower.
The White Sox would also have a small logjam in their outfield. Avisail Garcia just has not been the player they envisioned, posting a disappointing -0.3 WAR in his first full season of action. He could be relegated to a bench role or traded if the Sox were to acquire Cespedes. That isn’t necessarily a bad problem to have, though.
Similar to the Giants, the White Sox should be players for Cespedes, but only if the price drops. Embed from Getty Images
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The deep pockets of Angels’s owner Arte Moreno could attract Cespedes to Southern California at some point this winter. Whether they are fearful of the $189 million dollar luxury tax threshold could be a deciding factor, however.
After already being burned by Josh Hamilton’s 5yr/$125 million pact and Albert Pujols’s albatross of a contract, the Angels might think twice about an expensive, long term agreement with Cespedes.
Aside from the financial aspects, Cespedes is a perfect fit in an area of need. The Angels were one of the worst offensive producers regarding their left fielders last season, making Cespedes’s power all the more attractive. His bat in the lineup near Albert Pujols and Mike Trout’s isn’t a bad look, either.
The Angels narrowly missed out on the playoffs last season, and maintain a payroll in the top ten of the league almost every season. With Jason Heyward already headed to Chicago, Cespedes makes plenty of sense for LA. Embed from Getty Images
Baltimore Orioles
If the Orioles are unable to resign Chris Davis, there’s plenty of reason why they could pursue Mr. Cespedes. It seems as if they have they cash; they’ve reportedly offered Davis over $150 million.
The Orioles traditionally aren’t big spenders, but it’s obvious that they have the cash to sign a marquee free agent. More importantly, they haven’t been able to replace the production of Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis since they departed in free agency last winter. Cespedes’s presence in the middle of the lineup and in a corner outfield spot is a perfect fit.
Even if the O’s can’t lock him up long term, they could sign him to a 1 or 2 year deal, allowing him to re-enter a much weaker free agent class in a year or two. That would be similar to what they did with Nelson Cruz who enjoyed hitter friendly Camden Yards in 2014, and proceeded to cash in on a multi year offer the following winter.
While Cespedes could be in play for the O’s, they could also look into Justin Upton or Alex Gordon to fill a similar role. Embed from Getty Images
New York Mets
You’re seeing that correctly. There’s still hope for the New York Mets to bring Yoenis Cespedes back.
While they’ve been connected to names like Denard Span, Will Venable, and Alejandro De Aza recently, the frugal Mets could bring Cespedes back.
It’s pretty well known that they haven’t closed the door on a reunion, but only if the price falls. Cespedes might be interested in returning, but only on a 1 year deal. He enjoyed his time in New York, would be on a contending team, and could re-establish his value ahead of a free agent outfield class headlined by Colby Rasmus.
The Mets, despite their recent success and increased revenue, do not look like they are willing to open the checkbook for any marquee free agents. This remains consistent, even in the wake of Michael Cuddyer’s recent retirement. While it’s frustrating for Mets fans to be subject to such frugality, they can hold out hope that Cespedes returns if his market deteriorates.
The Mets have a small window to contend before many of their star pitchers enter arbitration and approach free agency. Resigning Cespedes on a 1 year, $20 or so million dollar deal would do both sides some good.