New York Mets

With the home stretch of the MLB offseason upon us, and Yoenis Cespedes still available, New York Mets fans need to understand a few things.

By Aniello Piro

Yoenis Cespedes is a guy that can hit for power, get on base, swipe some bags, and gun people out from the outfield.  So why has he not signed a multi year contract for millions of dollars?

The answer is simple.

He is a very good player, but he is not a great player.

Cespedes is a lifetime .271 hitter with 106 homeruns and 367 RBIs. These numbers are good, but not elite.

When you sign someone like Cespedes, you get a few things:

  • A plus defender
  • An above average right handed bat
  • Good speed, and quickness

Those are the positives of signing Cespedes.  However, some fans need to look at the downside.

The downside of Cespedes is:

  • He struggles against left handed pitching
  • He swings for the fences every pitch
  • He lacks effort at times
  • He is a headache off the field
  • He is 30 years old

These reasons are the factors that determine if a team wants to sign a player or not, and we have seen no teams are wiling to give Cespedes the years, and money he desires.

Lets compare the best outfielders that have signed this offseason to Cespedes.

These three guys have been the cream of the crop of outfielders this year, and there is a good reason why.

Each of these guys fills a void for the teams they have signed with, and have a select role with their designated squads:

  • Heyward- Most runs saved in baseball since 2011, rounds out Chicago’s lineup
  • Gordon- Plus defender who is familiar with the Kansas City Royals, staple in that franchise
  • Upton- Big bat in the middle of the lineup for Detroit, and is consistent every year.

With all we have seen this offseason one thing remains certain. Teams are willing to pay for the guys they want, and at this point in time no one wants Cespedes for the long term.

So, what does this mean for the Cespedes market?

As it stand now the New York Mets and Chicago White Sox are the leading candidates for Cespedes, with reports that the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels are monitoring the situation.

The White Sox and Mets are unwilling to go long term, and are not going to shell out Heyward or Upton type money to the Cuban Slugger.

The Angels do not want to exceed the luxury tax, as signing Cespedes would do that.

No one knows the status of the Astros level of interest, however, it is known they are monitoring the situation.

Leaving the Mets and White Sox as the realistic options for Cespedes, so unless some wild card team comes out of no where, and makes Cespedes an offer he can not refuse it seems that Cespedes will either be a Met or White Sox.

This goes to prove that teams can be selective at times, and front offices view players differently than fans do.

Yikes.

Understand that just because a player is good he does not necessarily fit.

While he would fit with the Mets, no team views him as a 6 year/$130+ million dollar guy, and that is just how the market is.

So, with all the reports that Cespedes has a market, and that he will get the max contract he is looking, people need to understand that no team has shown even the most remote interest in signing Cespedes long term, and for a boat load of money. That is fact.

So, Mets fans sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of your offseason because as it stands now the Mets have as good a chance as anyone to land Yoenis Cespedes.

NEXT: Time For Galloway And Grant To Play More For Knicks

I am a 17 year old Mets fan living in Denver Colorado. My feel for the Mets is much different than others. I bring unique experience and insight to the table when talking about the Mets. I express my passion for the team in my words! I have been featured on MLB.com/blogs, and run one of the biggest independent Mets blogs on the web.