New York Mets must re-sign Yeonis Cespedes because he’s far superior to any other possible replacements on the free agent market.
Of course, the biggest question facing the New York Mets this offseason is universally known and completely simple
Will they re-sign Yoenis Cespedes?
Cespedes has been the Mets best hitter and biggest power threat since he landed in Flushing in a trade during the 2015 deadline. He hit 17 home runs in a one moth span in August and September, helping the Mets run away with the National League East and the World Series.
In 2016 in his first full season as a Met, Cespedes hit 31 home runs and 86 while hitting a respectable .280. He was the anchor of the Mets lineup throughout this season and his presence was widely felt when he missed some games while on the DL because of a quad injury.
However, as we all expected, Cespedes opted out of his deal, making him a free agent yet again.
Based on the impact he’s made, it is a piece of cake that the Mets have to retain him. The problem is: he, most likely, will command a large salary up to five years, which could be too much for the Mets to give to a 31-year-old.
If the Mets don’t re-sign Cespedes, then they can look to the free agent market for similar type of power hitters and outfielders there. Let’s take a look at the top replacement options and compare them with Cespedes.
Jose Bautista
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista compares best with Yo. He’s a right handed outfielder with tremendous power who can launch the ball out at any stadium.
However, he is 36 years old which is five years older than Cespedes and his numbers in 2016 declined in a pretty large way compared to the year before. With the Jays, he still hit 22 home runs but it’s a steep decline from the 40 home runs he hit in 2015. His 69 RBI in 2016 was also a big drop off from the 114 he had the year before. Bautista is also not the outfielder defensively that Cespedes is.
Bautista still wants a a deal at least five years, which is pretty ridiculous when you look at his age and stat decline. If that’s the case, the Mets might as well give Cespedes a five year deal. A two year deal for Bautista sounds reasonable but not five.
Edwin Encarnacion
Another Blue Jay power hitter that could be a potential Yo replacement is Edwin Encarnacion.
The soft spoken hitter with the loud bat had his best year power wise, hitting a career high 42 home runs and 127 RBI. However, he cannot replace Cespedes in the outfield because he is an infielder. He can fill in at first base but he is not sharp defensively out there so he is more of a DH, which can be tough for him to go to a National League club. Then of course, after doing it in a hitter’s park, there’s always the question of whether he can do it in a more spacious park in Citi Field.
Cespedes has already proven that he can hit at Citi Field and that he can thrive in New York. Encarnacion, being the quiet man he is, has that question mark of whether he is fit for the bright lights of New York.
Mark Trumbo
The slugger who always had the power, Mark Trumbo, also had a career year in 2016. This one for another American League East team in the Baltimore Orioles.
Trumbo smashed 47 home runs this past season. There’s no doubt the power he can provide. However he is an all or nothing guy and he struck out 170 times in 2016. C
espedes is a more complete hitter and while he still strikes out a lot, he has been more disciplined this season, taking more pitches and not swinging out of the strike zone as much as he used to.
Dexter Fowler
One of the big hitters who was a huge part in the Chicago Cubs finally breaking their World Series drought, Dexter Fowler had a solid year in 2016. He hit .276 with 13 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He is a guy who can provide some power and speed. He can also play center field and lead off too.
While Fowler can provide a little more versatility, he is definitely not the same feared slugger that Cespedes is, so he won’t impact a lineup the way Ces has.
Final Thoughts
So, basically, the comparisons I made regarding Cespedes with the other free agent options out there, comes down to one simple notion: Cespedes Trumps them all. Yeah, I know, I borrowed the last name of the new U.S. president, but you look at the meaning.
Cespedes is better than all of them.
Re-signing Cespedes is a must, even for five years. He is 31-years-old and still in his prime, so he will still have several good years left. We all witnessed how he turned the Mets lineup and the season around in 2015 when he single handedly turned it from a Triple-A offense to one of the feared lineups in the league.
He made that same impact in 2016. When he was there, the Mets lineup looked imposing. When he was not, it looked punchless. Cespedes is that rarity — that one guy who makes a lineup go and you don’t see that a lot.
I know there’s concerns about the future payroll especially on re-signing their young starters. Even with a full payroll, it would be tough fetched for the Mets re-sign all of them anyhow since a few of them could command big dollars based on their potential.
I know how important that is, especially since pitching wins games and all the young starters came from the Mets farm system. So does hitting.
As great as the starting pitching was at the start of 2015, the Mets were barely above .500 cause of their lack of hitting. When Cespedes arrived, the Mets soared and it was because they had the lineup to complement their strong pitching.
Having reached the playoffs in back to back years, the Mets are built to win now especially with their young rotation intact, if everyone comes back healthy. The future is now and bringing Cespedes back increases their chances even more.
Signing Cespedes to a long term deal should not drastically affect their payroll. There will be some salaries coming off the books. Curtis Granderson, Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Reyes will come off the books after the 2017 season.
I know Mets GM Sandy Alderson doesn’t sign a lot of long term deals but this is one that’s worth it.
The free agent options will help but not as much as Cespedes. He is a five tool player who hits for power and average. He still has good on the basepaths and in the outfield. He also is a Gold Glove caliber outfielder with a tremendous arm there.
None of the other free agents fit that bill completely. Cespedes has also proven that he can play in New York, something worth its weight in gold. Not only has he thrived here but he has embraced the spotlight too.
So, while the other free agent possibilities could provide some impact, should they sign here, it definitely won’t be as much as what Cespedes has provided during his time in Queens.