It seems as if Sandy Alderson and the New York Mets are done spending this offseason, but what if Yoenis Cespedes still remains a possibility?
By Patrick Brewer
It appeared that with the signing of outfielder Alejandro De Aza last month, the New York Mets were out of the running for signing Yoenis Cespedes.
Going into the offseason it was pretty evident that the Mets did not have the financial will to sign Cespedes to a long term deal, despite Mets fans pleas. However, a recent report says that perhaps there is still hope on the Yoenis Cespedes front.
mets have stayed in contact on cespedes, just in case. probably looking for bargain they wont get. but interesting.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2016
As seen above, according to Jon Heyman, the Mets have still stayed contact with Cespedes this whole time.
It was pretty clear from the outset that the Mets would be unwilling to meet the financial terms that a player like Cespedes demands. However, given that his search for a new home has now dragged on into January, the money may not be the same issue it was in the past. Even so, as mentioned by Heyman, the Mets are still looking for a bargain that they likely will not receive. Either way, it is still a very interesting possibility to consider.
If Cespedes was willing to sign a one or two year contract, or even a contract with an opt-out after next season, would the Mets be willing to bite?
Financially, the Mets could swing some sort of short term deal. Despite all the financial trouble that Mets ownership is in, they still have the capability of signing a player like Cespedes, if only on a short term contract. In 2015, the Mets began opening day with a payroll of just over $100 million, finishing the season with a total just shy of $110 million.
As currently constituted the Mets payroll for 2016 looks to be around $100 million, give or take a few million based on salary arbitration cases. Given that number, signing Cespedes seems to be a little dicey.
However, general manager Sandy Alderson has already stated on the record that the 2016 payroll will be higher than the 2015 payroll.
Using the $110 million number, the Mets could theoretically increase their payroll by another $10 million to make room for a player like Cespedes on a one to three year deal. That seems to be the only possibility of signing Cespedes, rather than the alternative of signing him to five to seven year mega deal, which the Mets have already written off in the past.
Despite this still being somewhat of a possibility, it remains unlikely that Cespedes’ price falls enough for the Mets to be willing to front the money. It is much more likely that Cespedes still gets a four or five year contract for a good sum of money. The Mets have made it clear that they are fine going into 2016 without Cespedes, with more or less the roster they already have.
The Mets don’t need Cespedes, and he likely doesn’t need them either. At the end of the day, Yoenis Cespedes days in New York are likely over.
