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Look at Justin Upton vs. Alex Gordon contract. Lots more money for upton but gordon hit 30 points better than Upton last yearComment -
IMO Upton is much better than Gordon, however he doesn't always put in his top effort.Comment -
I'll take Gordon as the bargain there any day.Comment -
Mets sign Antonio Bastardo for 2 years and $12M.Comment -
Report: Nats offer Cespedes a 5-year deal
The Nationals have offered free-agent OF Yoenis Cespedes a 5-year deal, according to FoxSports, while the Mets will only offer 3 years.
Cespedes hit .291 with 35 HRs and 105 RBIs with the Tigers and Mets last season.Comment -
horrible signing by the Mets
I enjoyed it when the Phillies had the Whore and the Bastard on the same pitching staff
and Chooch/Cooch behind the plate[quote=jjgold;5683305]I win again like usual
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[quote=Whippit;7921056]miami won't lose a single eastern conference game through end of season[/quote]Comment -
Late Thursday afternoon, the Nationals’ signing of free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes seemed likely, if not inevitable.
The Nats had made Cespedes a five-year offer for an unspecified amount, according to major-league sources. The Mets were unwilling to go beyond three years, sources said.
The possibility existed -- and still exists -- that other teams are still involved. But Cespedes also could be wrestling with a more fundamental choice.
According to two sources with knowledge of his thinking, he prefers to stay with the Mets.
The lead agent for Cespedes, CAA’s Brodie Van Wagenen, remains in touch with the Mets, and the two sides are scheduled to speak again on Friday, sources said.
Mets manager Terry Collins, speaking Thursday night at the St. John’s University Baseball Bullpen Winter Banquet in Queens, N.Y., offered high praise for Cespedes.
“He works very hard to be a good teammate,” Collins said. “Even though he doesn’t speak a lot of English, he works very, very hard at it.
“His pre-game routine is off the charts . . . off the charts. He has things that he does right before a game in the batting cage . . . When he walks on to that field, he’s legit.
“I’ve been around a lot of great players. I’ve seen a lot of great players. This guy, just strictly tools, the five tools – he’s got ‘em all.
The Mets, however, have yet to make a formal offer to Cespedes, sources said; they are waiting for Van Wagenen to signal that Cespedes is willing to accept a term of three or fewer years before opening negotiations. The White Sox reportedly are another team willing to go only three years.
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Why would Cespedes agree to a lesser commitment when he already is 30 and several teams are wary of signing him long-term in the current market?
Perhaps he would be comfortable with the difference in money if, say, the Nationals offered five years, $80 million, and the Mets proposed say, three years, $65 million.
And perhaps he figures that if an opt-out clause from the Nationals would enable him to become a free agent after say, two years, he might as well just accept the shorter deal from the Mets.
The Nationals never have awarded an opt-out clause, but such provisions rapidly are becoming the industry norm. Free-agent outfielder Justin Upton negotiated a two-year opt-out into his new six-year, $132.75 million deal with the Tigers, and it stands to reason that Van Wagenen would seek the same type of flexibility for Cespedes.
It also stands to reason that Van Wagenen would encourage Cespedes to accept the longer term and higher guarantee from the Nationals -- and that Cespedes might interpret the offer as a greater show of faith.
But ultimately, Cespedes will make the decision.
By all accounts, he enjoyed his brief stay with the Mets, who acquired him from the Tigers last July 31 -- Cespedes’ third trade in 12 months. Changing teams again might not appeal to him. Joining the Nationals also might concern him, given the number of strong personalities in their clubhouse. The Nats hired Dusty Baker as manager in part to help mold the team into a more cohesive unit.
Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward reportedly rejected superior bids from the Nationals to join the Cubs earlier this offseason. But in the end, Cespedes might act like a more typical free agent and accept the highest offer, be it from the Nationals or another club.
Or maybe not. Maybe he just wants to be a Met.Comment -
Mets wasting money on Bastardo, wow these gms.Comment -
Crazy stuff happening...
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less than 30 days till pitchers and catchers reportComment -
Cespedes will probably go back to the Mets with an opt-out clause after 1 or 2 years.Comment -
David Lennon Verified account @DPLennon
Can confirm previous reports that #Mets have deal with Cespedes 3 yr, 1 yr opt out. $23M AAV. Source said had higher offers, but wanted MetsComment -
FOX Sports: MLB Verified account @MLBONFOX JUST IN: #Mets & Yoenis Cespedes have agreed on a 3 years, $75 million deal, pending a physicalComment -
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Cespedes gets almost $28 mill if he opts out after 1 year...wow
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Happy to keep Cespedes for at least another year!Comment -
The Mets have reached agreement on a deal with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, pending physical, according to multiple reports. He’ll earn $75MM over three years and can opt out after one season, per reports, at which time he’ll have earned $27.5MM. The contract is said to include a full no-trade clause.
While a return to the Mets has always seemed plausible, it’s also appeared at times to be a long shot. That’s due in large part to the fact that Cespedes seemed destined to land a much greater, longer-term commitment than Sandy Alderson and co. were willing and able to make.
With Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson at the corners, and Juan Lagares and recent addition Alejandro De Aza available up the middle, there wasn’t a need, strictly speaking. But Michael Cuddyer’s retirement opened a roster spot and some capital, and the Mets stayed in position as the winter progressed. The team’s payroll, surely, seems destined to move north, but the somewhat surprising World Series run last year and an impressive crop of young pitchers certainly justified such an advance.
It remains to be seen what New York will do in crafting an outfield alignment. A trade of Lagares makes some sense at first glance, though it isn’t clear what they’d be looking for in return. And selling low isn’t appealing either. Then there’s the fact that the gifted fielder might be of importance not only down the line, but also in 2016. Granderson could surely stand to avoid left-handed pitching, while Conforto is still somewhat unproven despite an impressive debut. And Cespedes did not look terribly comfortable in center last year.
Any way you cut it, the signing looks to represent a major coup for the Mets, who’ll look to defend their NL East title with the man who helped lead them there in the first place. Cespedes, 30, put up a huge .287/.337/.604 slash down the stretch after coming to New York in a deadline deal. Though he dealt with some injuries and wasn’t a major force in the post-season, there’s no question of his impact last year.
Looking forward, the Mets will hope that Cespedes can continue to provide top-notch overall value. Though he’s not much of an on-base threat, he’s made huge contributions with his power stroke and high-quality corner outfield defense. To be sure, Cespedes was more solid than great in the two preceding seasons. But with the chance to head back to the open market after the season, he’ll surely have all the incentive necessary to fuel a repeat performance, and the downside here is far less worrisome than those found in many player option scenarios.
The reported concept also makes good sense as a fall-back for the Roc Nation client. It certainly carries a high-end annual salary, with the larger portion due up front, though the term does fall well shy of expectations. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes had pegged his earning capacity at $140MM over six years entering the winter. It appeared he’d have a good chance of reaching it after Jason Heyward inked a monster, opt-out-laden $184MM deal with the Cubs and Justin Upton went for six years and $132.75MM to the Tigers.
While the overall guarantee pales in comparison to those contracts, Cespedes adds an enormous amount of upside through his own contract. The early opt-out provision means that he’ll have a chance to re-enter the market in just one year’s time in search of yet another big payday. The structure ultimately falls into what we’ve discussed here quite a bit in recent weeks, as a supercharged short-term deal that includes a significant guarantee but cabins the team’s risk and leaves plenty of earning potential for the player.
Barring a catastrophe in 2016, it’s hard to imagine that Cespedes won’t hit free agency again next year. There’s an excellent chance he’ll be the top outfielder available next winter in a much less robust market, and he won’t be so old that he won’t be able to cash in.
Rosenthal adds that “higher offers” were available elsewhere from multiple clubs (Twitter link). Obviously, we’ll need to learn more about the details before assessing their relative merits, but it appears that Cespedes did indeed put some priority on returning to New York. It seems that several clubs had interest in a pact of this nature, with the Nationals also said to have interest in something like five years and $100MM (possibly including deferred money). That scenario would obviously have conveyed a steeper guarantee, but even with an opt-out provision after two years would have sapped a good portion of the massive earning upside that Cespedes will now enjoy.
Ultimately, with what’s been reported thus far, it isn’t surprising that Cespedes chose to take this offer to return to the bright lights of New York. And while there’s plenty of work yet to be done, the Mets will enter the coming season as a popular choice to challenge once again for a trip to the World Series.Comment -
Being a Mets fan I am very happy that they have got Cespedes.
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A healthy cespedes will help them win that division.Comment -
Quite a bit of money but Cespedes will probably have another great season and then opt out after 2016.Comment
