Throughout the offseason rumors suggested the New York Mets weren't going to spend big in free agency, particularly on outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who said earlier this year he was seeking a six-year deal from an MLB club.
Based on the Mets moves this offseason it certainly appears as if they're holding true to that sentiment, which was further supported on Thursday.
"If Mets fans are still holding out hope they may yet find superstar outfielder Yoenis Cespedes under the tree, they can forget about it," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
"The Mets are still looking for a right-hitting outfielder, but it won't be Cespedes, according to sources familiar with their thinking. They seek someone to complement the three lefty bats that will man left field, right field and first base (Michael Conforto, Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda), and it is believed they are looking at Steve Pearce and others in that category."
"Against all odds, Mets fans had still been holding out hope there was an outside chance Cespedes, who had 35 home runs, 105 RBI and a .291 batting average between the Mets and Tigers in 2015, could fall the team's lap on a shorter deal. But word is, there are currently no discussions ongoing with the Mets and Cespedes."
So far this offseason the Mets have signed infielder Asdrubal Cabrera (two years, $18 million), outfielder Alejandro De Aza (one year, $5.75 million), pitchers Bartolo Colon (one year, $7.25 million) and Jerry Blevins (one year, $4 million), and traded for second baseman Neil Walker (projected to earn $10 million in arbitration). Walker was their biggest expenditure, but he was traded for pitcher Jon Niese, whose 2016 salary is only $1 million less than Walker's, so the numbers pretty much offset.
The market for Cespedes, as well as the other free agent outfielders, is largely undefined. Justin Upton and Alex Gordon also remain unsigned and it's not clear if there are any teams aggressively pursuing them. Jason Heyward ($184 million) and Ben Zobrist ($56 million) are the only other big name position players to sign deals this offseason.
New York could still be waiting for Cespedes' price to drop if he remains unsigned later in the offseason, but as of right now a reunion appears to be grim. The Mets are under a lot of scrutiny by many pundits for being frugal in free agency since they have a golden opportunity to dominate the MLB with their cheap and talented pitching staff.
We'll see if the team has a change of heart, but the team has been reluctant to spend in recent years and it doesn't look like that's going to change.
