Yoenis Cespedes To Opt Out: Who Are The Favorites To Land Him?
After another season in New York, Yoenis Cespedes is expected to opt out of his contract with the Mets, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. He will be one of the premier hitters on the free agent market and will get plenty of attention from teams around the league. Who really has a chance to sign him, though?
Sources: Cespedes to opt out with $47.5M left https://t.co/T7lv5KhktI #NYM #Mets
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) October 27, 2016
Well, a handful of teams have a realistic chance of signing him for a number of reasons. These five teams, in particular, have a need that Cespedes fills, and a willingness to pay him to come to town.
5. New York Mets
[Image by David Zalubowski/AP Images]
It appears to be a long shot the Mets will bring Cespedes back, but it seemed like a long shot last year, too, before the team brought him back on a multi-year deal with the opt-out after his first season. The team a free agent played for the season before always has a chance, because he’s familiar with how things are run.
However, Cespedes can likely get more money elsewhere, can DH more often for an AL team, and won’t have to carry whatever team he signs with offensively. All of these factors lead to his likelihood of re-signing with the Mets being relatively remote.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
[Image by Jim Mone/AP Images]
The only way this happens is if Toronto’s front office decides it would be a better idea to sign Cespedes than keep Jose Bautista, who is also a free agent and is 36 years old. However, the team also has to find a way to re-sign Edwin Encarnacion this offseason. There are some big decisions to be made in Toronto.
Even though teams generally have a preference to keep their own proven players, it could make sense for Toronto to sign Cespedes and let one of their other two star hitters walk. Cespedes is 31 years old and provides as big a power threat as either of the other two players. Locking him up through his age-36 season would ensure a strong middle of the order north of the border for years to come.
3. Seattle Mariners
[Image by Jae C. Hong/AP Images]
In the last couple seasons, the Mariners have been oh, so close to the postseason. However, no serious October baseball has been played in Seattle since 2001. While the team needs to address its lack of starting pitching, it also could afford to add more punch to the lineup.
Putting Cespedes in a lineup with Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz would give Seattle a fearsome threesome in the middle of the order that could potentially enable the team to compete with Houston and Texas in what is looking like a really tough AL West going forward.
Cespedes would also provide insurance for Cruz, once he retires or starts falling off; he is 36 and will turn 37 next July. It is certainly something Jerry DiPoto and the Mariners’ front office will have to consider.
2. Detroit Tigers
[Image by Gene J. Puskar/AP Images]
It is no secret that after the Tigers traded Cespedes to the Mets, they had every intention of trying to re-sign him in the offseason. It didn’t work out that way, largely due to the five-year, $110 million deal they gave starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann.
However, after sniffing the playoffs in 2016, the team’s approach could be even more aggressive this offseason. With a lineup that already features Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, and Victor Martinez, the addition of Cespedes could be scary and would enable the Tigers to really threaten the Indians in the AL Central.
While the Tigers could stand to add one more starter to the rotation, adding Cespedes could be just as important. An outfield of Martinez, Upton, and Cespedes would be among the best offensively in the game.
1. Texas Rangers
[Image by David J. Phillip/AP Images]
Despite getting bounced by the Blue Jays in the ALDS this season, the Rangers were among the best teams in baseball in 2016. In fact, they had the best record in the American League, no small feat. They can chalk up their early exit to bad postseason luck, but they could also use one more middle-of-the-order bat.
Cespedes would fit perfectly in left field for them to complement an already relatively complete offensive team. You can never have too much hitting and the Rangers have shown a willingness to spend in the past. With the rotation theoretically set with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish as their top two, Texas could go after hitting to make sure they go deeper in the postseason next year.
Cespedes, for a hefty price, could be the one to get them there.
[Featured Image by Kathy Willens/AP Images]
