1:32pm: Talks between the Mets and Tigers “reignited” on Wednesday night after there had been little contact between the two clubs, tweets Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, who calls a Cespedes acquisition a possibility for the Mets.
1:27pm: The Mets are making a push to acquire Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter). Earlier today the Mets were linked to Cespedes in connection with some doubt regarding Michael Cuddyer’s health.
The Mets have been working fervently to acquire an outfield bat over the past couple of days. After a near-deal for Carlos Gomez disintegrated, they’ve been tied heavily to the Reds’ Jay Bruce, though those talks are now also said to have cooled. Cespedes wouldn’t fit the Mets’ desire to add a bat that is controlled beyond the 2015 season, but he would certainly provide a boost to a Mets offense that has failed to score enough runs to support an outstanding young pitching staff.
The Tigers figure to be extra-motivated to deal Cespedes, as he’s ineligible to receive a qualifying offer this winter and thus can’t even bring back a draft pick as compensation if he isn’t moved today.
drewm
Can’t wait to find out what concerns they have about Cespedes
calamityfrancis
Can he play center field? Can he get on base?
Not sure I see the fit here. Mets should have just gotten Revere.
Hentai King
He can hit and has power, Mets don’t have neither. Seems like a fit.
calamityfrancis
Clearly, I just think others out on the market would have made a lot more sense.
SheaGoodbye
The Mets don’t need an OBP guy so much as another run producer. Ideally they’d land both but then the outfield would be a bit too crowded. Cespedes is a decent fit, though I’d prefer Bruce who has greater homerun power.
There’s also no need for him to play CF when there’s a big opening in LF right now. Cuddyer will simply have to be the odd man out if and when he is healthy.
sampsonite168
Seems like Mets last resort :\
SheaGoodbye
Anyone wanna place bets on which part of the body the Mets blame for their backing out of a Cespedes deal? I’m going with left knee.
rct
So funny I forgot to laugh!!!!!
SheaGoodbye
You should try it sometime. Laughter is good for the soul. And for staying sane as a Mets fan.
rct
ha, I’m just goofing around. I remember last offseason after the Grant Balfour thing, every other comment was about the Baltimore FO needing to see the medical reports.
Scottymike
I wonder how long we are going to enjoy those kind of quotes…Hoping a long time man! 🙂
Backatitagain
Braves could trade Andrelton Simmons for Zack Wheeler.
Oh, lost momentum on that deal. We live in a different world than we did 15 seconds ago. We want Zack Wheeler and David Putney!
Ray Ray
The Mets will back out at the last minute because Cespedes had a hangnail in 2009.
rct
I think the only way this happens is if the Mets get a good deal, which I don’t see happening due to the amount of interest in Cespedes. He’ll play 55 games and then walk at the end of the season with no comp.
Big Blue
For the love of God Sandy, screw your bosses the Coupons they are so busy playing with their buildings and real estate! Gomez was the best possible fit, you screwed it up and lost all credibility, finish a deal for Raji Davis and Cespedes!!!!!!! And EXTEND him, 6 years 75M. Do something positive for the ORGANIZATION and build around the 4 Horsemen. Follow what SF did around their staff who is inferior to Harvey-deGrom-Noah-Matz……..one bat can put you in the WS and thats more money for the WILPONS. If you invest you will pay for the acquisitions through more money at the gate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tuner49
For $75mil you will get maybe 4 years of Cespedes. He will get 6-7 yrs and likely $18+mill per year.
pesos
Mets should try to get Cespedes and Iglesias in a deal
miggypop44
Why would the Tigers possibly trade Iglesias? An All-Star cost controlled SS is a player you build around, not trade.
Big Blue
Raji Davis and Cespedes for Lagares, Nimmo, Plawecki because they are rentals with Boras as an agent which means the Mets will never sign either.
kingjenrry
That’s a hilariously awful proposal.
kingjenrry
You forgot to note the sarcasm.
andyr
Mets realize they have to pay him if they get him right? No Detroit won’t take Lagares…
UK Tiger
Wheeler would do nicely…
And then i woke up.
gooberz
Unbelievable. The mets are just awful. Cespedes is only a rental. You should have taken Bruce and dealt him in the off season. The national league is primarily a right handed pitcher league. Anderson is is flat out awful. The mets are all over the place . No watch Bruce have a career year next year.
Trading for a rental is not all in. All in is competing now and next year. Bruce is controllable. Also there is a reason cespedes has been traded 3 or 4 times already.
Hentai King
Cespedes has a better WAR just saying.
SheaGoodbye
What trade deadline have you been watching? The Mets are not all in at all, nor should they be. They’re simply looking for an upgrade to have a shot at winning the division this season. That’s all. Who the heck cares if he’s a rental? He’d likely be cheaper to acquire as a result, you then let him walk in the offseason, and go out and make another deal or sign a FA. There’s no problem here whatsoever.
To be honest I’m not even sure why I graced your asinine post with a response. It is the ultimate in nitpicking.
gooberz
I meant Alderson.
SheaGoodbye
Bruce or Cespedes. The Mets have to get one of those two guys or this deadline will have been an utter failure. Even for the Mets this would be a new low, and that’s really saying something. I can understand the Wilpon’s being cheap generally, but what I can’t understand is them being cheap when such a decision would be a bad business decision.
Scenario 1: You don’t acquire a big bat. Fans are livid. Some refuse to go to games out of protest. The team falls out of contention and even less fans attend games.
Scenario 2: You acquire a big bat. Fans are excited. More people come out to the ballpark and spend on food and merchandise. The team remains in contention throughout the summer and each game is packed. Best case scenario: the team makes the playoffs and $$$.
I understand the $$$ may not exactly balance out in the end, but it’s not like the Mets have to take on big salary to land either of these guys. Invest in the team now and you will at least recoup a little bit of those $$$ on the other end. It would also take some of the heat off of them as owners, whereas the alternative would put pitchforks in everyone’s hands. The Wilpons have more than enough motivation to go with option 2, and yet it’s the Mets, so they probably won’t.
rct
Your scenarios assume that not acquiring a big bat guarantees loses and them falling out of contention. It also assumes that acquiring a big bat guarantees wins. Nothing guarantees anything. The Mets could do nothing and go on a tear (d’Arnaud is back, Uribe and Johnson are slight offensive improvements, Wright may come back) or trade away assets and still play poorly. There’s a minimum of 4 scenarios here.
metsfanfrom60s
Majority of revenue comes from TV and other media, but a packed stadium helps, Wilpons only care about maximizing profits, not winning. they have #19 salary in Big Market area with #7 ranked franchise sale value (which better reflects their revenue ranking and where they should be spending.) As long Wilpoins continue to own the team, the Mets will only win if the can do it REAL CHEAP.
Scottymike
I want Cespedes over any available Bat but it will hurt to see any of our prospects like Rosario, D Smith, Cecchini, or Conforto go. I’m cool with anyone else, and I know we have to give up someone, but I hope we can make a move without any of those guys.
metsfanfrom60s
Gomez deal collapse was all about the money. Milwaukee didn’t want to absorb some of Gomez’s reasonable salary of 8M this year and 9M next year. Most outfielders of his caliber get in the 12M to 16M range (look at Cuddyer and Granderson). If it wasn’t salary, why can’t the Mets close the deal quickly for Cespedes as Plan B? The Mets salary is #19 out of 30 behind such
“Big Market” powerhouses like Baltimore, San Diego and Cincinnati. It’s been years since the Madoff scandal, so the “We’re broke” story is getting old. If you’re that broke, do the fans a favor and SELL THE TEAM! I doubt that is the case, since the TV revenue from SNY and MLB Fox should be substantial and I doubt the TV revenue ranks 19 out of 30! Also, the franchise net worth is ranked #7 at $1.35 BILLION according to Forbes, so the Wilpons will make a hefty gain if they ever do sell. Sadly, David Wright will probably retire due to the injury and we wish him the best. Since he is on the 60 day DL, the 75% insurance of 12M (or less if he returns ..on a pro-rated basis) has not even been spent. Uribe and Johnson were $8M with the Braves absorbing some of that money. Clippard was $3M from their Money Ball cohorts, the A’s. There is a few Million left just in insurance money! Of course, there were the teaser rumors of a Todd Frazier trade. Since he is a younger version of David Wright (2006 timeframe and abilities), it would have been a perfect fit. If this were the Yankees, they would have capitalized on the perfect alignment of pitching prowess and we would have seen Tulowitzki at SS, Gomez or Cespedes in OF and possible Frazier at 3rd. This would have added about $20M this year and $27M in payroll in 2016 which would have the Mets ranked 10th behind the Phillies in payroll and also in the same payroll range as the Cardinals and Blue Jays, competitive teams that are NOT big market. The Mets salary restrictions are EMBARASSING and show true GREED on the Wilpons for making up their Madoff losses by maximizing the Mets profit MARGIN (spend little but keep revenues stable). Instead, we’ll be tortured for 3 or 4 years of ALMOST wild card play, instead of dominating the league for a few years. The Mets will never sign the four young pitchers we have once they hit free agency. If the Mets add $25M in payroll (same spend range as Cardinals and Blue Jays) they would have the ability to have another two or maybe three high caliber offensive players. Mets fans should BOYCOTT the games and not buy tickets. (Be content to watch on TV if you must.) You will be sending a powerful message to the Wilpons and Sandy A, that their greedy approach on the backs of Mets fans won’t work anymore. I realize that Wilpon Sr. keeps the team as hobby, but maybe we’ll be lucky and the Wilpons and Sandy A will be gone. That’s the only hope for Mets fans. The Yankees would have NEVER let an opportunity like this slip away with such strong pitching slip away, with so many quality offensive players available this year near the trade deadline.
miggypop44
Mets mantra this trade deadline “Well, look at Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson’s 2010 numbers!”
SupremeZeus
Cespedes + $$ for Wheeler.