UPDATE: Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com doesn't think the Orioles are in position to make an offer to Cespedes.
"I checked around yesterday and didn't get the sense that the Orioles are remotely close to a deal. I'm told by one source that a contract proposal hasn't even been presented to ownership.
They most certainly aren't going to pay Cespedes $140 million, which MLBTradeRumors.com predicted for him at the start of free agency. That idea was shot down with gusto when I ran it past one individual in the organization."
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The Yoenis Cespedes rumors may finally be coming to an end in the near future. The market for the outfielder is reportedly "taking shape" and four MLB clubs - the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels - are among those interested, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
Sanchez's report comes shortly after FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal said the White Sox were in the market for Cespedes, which we wrote more about here. Sanchez says the Orioles and White are "emerging as leaders for now" and the Giants and Angels are "also in the mix" while the Texas Rangers are "monitoring the situation."
Over the weekend Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe confirmed Cespedes was looking for a six-year deal in the $150 million range, which has even forced some big market clubs to re-think their stance on the situation. The Giants reportedly don't want to add another large contract like that to their books and Angels owner Arte Moreno said the team is "not in play" for big bats as their payroll approaches the luxury tax threshold.
You can read a bit more about Cespedes' market here.
With these teams involved in the Cespedes sweepstakes, it wouldn't be crazy to speculate that the veteran's price tag has decreased. The Orioles and White Sox particularly aren't big spenders and the Giants and Angels have appeared hesitant in recent weeks regarding their payroll situations. There also has been limited interest in Cespedes, so it's certainly possible he's lowering his demands.
After all, last week it was reported that his price "may be dropping."
Then again, the O's have reportedly made a $150 million offer to Chris Davis and the White Sox can afford a $150 million contract if they structure it properly to keep their 2016 payroll from ballooning. The Giants and Angels can also get creative with the financials if need be, as big spenders can never really be ruled out when such attractive free agents are available.
Stay tuned for updates as the market continues to develop for Cesepedes.
