When the Red Sox swapped Jon Lester for Yoenis Cespedes on the day of the trade deadline, Boston was in dire need of outfielders. But that has since changed with the acquisitions of Rusney Castillo and Allen Craig.
Towards the end of July, the Red Sox had Jackie Bradley Jr. in centerfield (he was demoted to the minor leagues), Brock Holt in right field (he's primarily an infielder) and Daniel Nava (a 31-year-old who played his first full season in 2013). Holt and Nava were actually solid, but Boston needed a more solid core of outfielders. So they went out and got Cespedes and then acquired outfielder Allen Craig in a trade that sent starter John Lackey to the Cardinals. And then they signed Castillo to a record contract for a Cuban defector.
They also have Shane Victorino returning from an injury (signed thru 2015 for $13 million) and talented prospect Mookie Betts, who played 37 games in the outfield for the Red Sox this season. Cespedes has one year left on his contract and is owed $10.2 million, which is a very moveable deal. But why would they want to trade him? Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe explains:
"Word is spreading that the Red Sox could make Cespedes available. He will earn $10.2 million in the final year of his deal. Cespedes said late in the season that he wasn't sure whether he'd engage in long-term talks with the Red Sox. Couple that with his desire not to play right field or work on his defense, and that could make him a trade candidate as the Red Sox try to pare their outfield depth and possibly make room for Mookie Betts or add a lefthanded hitter."
It was also reported Cespedes was extremely upset when he heard he was being traded, which could affect his willingness to sign long-term with Boston. He batted .269 in 51 games for the Red Sox with 27 runs scored, five home runs and 33 RBIs. The Cuban defector still only 29 years old, so if the Red Sox do decide to trade him, they can definitely get something of value in return.
And he very well could be on the move (or looking for more money), because it was reported a few hours ago Cespedes has changed agents and will be joining Roc Nation Sports.
Speaking of Cuban defectors, Jose Fernandez, the 26-year-old second baseman who starred for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, went missing on October 10. It was speculated that he and his cousin, teammate and catcher Lazaro Herrera, were going to defect from Cuba and pursue MLB contracts. But it's now October 20 and nobody knows where they are. FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi reported on October 15 that Fernandez has indeed defected and is seeking an MLB contract, but according to Ben Badler of Baseball America, that doesn't seem to be the case right now.
"Higinio Velez, the president of the Cuban baseball federation, announced Sunday that Fernandez and Herrera have been released from the Matanzas team due to disciplinary reasons," Badler wrote. "Velez said he could not say whether they left the country or where the players are currently. While multiple well-connected sources said they believe Fernandez and Herrera did leave Cuba, those stories were inconsistent, and Baseball America could not independently confirm Fernandez's current location."
Fernandez is viewed as an MLB-caliber player and should get a contract fairly easily. Hopefully the two men are safe.
