It appears Yoenis Cespedes has served as just a rental for the second consecutive season.
The outfielder was a huge part of the New York Mets’ World Series run, helping take the team from the worst run-scoring offense on July 31 to the National League championship. But a Mets official told ESPN.com on Monday that it’s “highly likely” Cespedes will sign elsewhere in free agency.
The Mets still are expected to pursue Cespedes, but they’re apparently not getting their hopes up. New York has one of the lower payrolls in Major League Baseball, and Cespedes told ESPN Deportes before the postseason he’ll seek at least a six-year contract.
And he doesn’t know if those six years will be in New York.
“At the moment I’m not thinking about any of that … I’d say 50-50,” Cespedes said. “We’ll see after the season ends.”
Cespedes has bounced around over the past two seasons after the Oakland Athletics traded him to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes at last year’s non-waiver trade deadline. The Red Sox then traded him over the offseason to the Detroit Tigers, who dealt him to the Mets at this year’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Still, Cespedes finished the 2015 season with a .291 average, 35 home runs and 105 RBIs, so there’s no doubt he’ll be able to fetch the deal he wants.
Thumbnail photo via Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports Images
