UPDATE: The Mets and Tigers both announced the trade.
It's official! We've acquired OF Yoenis Cespedes for prospects RHP Michael Fulmer and RHP Luis Cessa. #Mets pic.twitter.com/zapEuc3w6w
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 31, 2015
The #Tigers announced today that the club has acquired RHPs Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa from the Mets in exchange for OF Yoenis Cespedes.
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 31, 2015
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UPDATE: The Mets will send prospects Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa to the Tigers, per Jennifer Hammond of Fox 2 Sports Detroit.
Presume that's Fulmer: RT @HammerFox2: Fuller and Cessa are the players on receiving end for #Tigers in Cespedes deal.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) July 31, 2015
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The New York Mets acquired the one big bat they needed before the MLB's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline. Yoenis Cespedes is on his way to New York.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports first mentioned a potential deal could be close:
One rival executive believes that Cespedes is going to the #Mets
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2015
And previous trade rumors linked Cespedes to New York.
The Detroit Tigers will send Cespedes to the Mets, according to Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. Detroit will receive two minor leaguers from New York, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Source: #Mets get Cespedes. Bruce Levine first.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2015
The #Mets get their man: Yoenis Cespedes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 31, 2015
Have also confirmed Cespedes to #Mets. That's a wow. https://t.co/C4SveUkDJB
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) July 31, 2015
After missing out on Carlos Gomez, who they would have been able to control through 2016, the Mets instead got Cespedes, who will be a free agent after this season. The Tigers had a big incentive to trade him because the slugger was not eligible to receive a qualifying offer in the offseason, meaning he would have no draft pick compensation tied to him heading into free agency.
He's batting .293/.323/.506 with 62 runs scored, 18 home runs and 61 RBIs in 102 games this season. And let's not forget, Cespedes is very familiar with Citi Field, where he won his first Home Run Derby back in 2013.
As for the Tigers, they'll get two prospect pitchers in the deal. Luis Cessa, 23, is 7-7 with a 3.98 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 85 strikeouts in 18 starts between Double-A Binghamton (13 starts) and Triple-A Las Vegas (five). Michael Fulmer, 22, is 6-2 with a 2.03 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 16 starts between Class A Advanced St. Lucie (one start) and Double-A Binghamton (15).
