Yoenis Cespedes has been surprised with by the overwhelming manner in which Mets fans have embraced him, he told the New York Post’s Ken Davidoff on Wednesday, and the slugging outfielder is open to a return to the Mets in free agency. Cespedes called his time with the Mets thus far the best of his Major League career because of his production, the team’s overall play and the fact that as it stands, New York is playoff-bound. Cespedes revealed to Davidoff that he was the one who instructed his agents to approach the team about removing the contractual clause that would’ve only given the Mets five days to re-sign him this offseason. Cespedes admitted to Davidoff that he knew little about the Mets before being traded there, and it was news to him that the Mets hadn’t reached the playoffs since 2006. “This year will be the next time,” Cespedes confidently told Davidoff. Cespedes also spoke to Davidoff about his decision to sign with Jay-Z’s startup agency, Roc Nation Sports, last offseason, although he didn’t get into specific details about the switch.
Here’s more from the NL East…
- Former Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski spoke with ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes about the trade that sent Cespedes to the Mets, providing some insight into the final day of the non-waiver trade season. Dombrowski received an 8am phone call from Mets GM Sandy Alderson expressing serious interest in Cespedes after the Carlos Gomez trade fell through, he told Edes. His response was that Michael Fulmer would be the Tigers’ top target in talks, and Alderson replied that he’d keep in touch. At 1:30pm, Dombrowski received permission from Tigers owner Mike Ilitch to go ahead with a trade only if the return included the prospects atop Detroit’s list; there’d be no take-what-you-can-get scenario. Had their price not been met, “[W]e would’ve kept him,” said Dombrowski. Alderson had been told by Dombrowski that the Tigers would need to hear definitively within 15 minutes of the deadline, as a trade involving Cespedes would need commissioner approval due to his unique contract, and the final call conceding Fulmer was (obviously) made in time to complete the swap.
- The Braves are easing Hector Olivera into things early in his big league career, writes David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta believes that Olivera will be in a better position to succeed in 2016 after playing winter ball in Puerto Rico and benefiting from a full Spring Training, so for the time being, they’re willing to give him a couple of nights off per week as he adjusts to life as a Major Leaguer. That’s less likely to be the case following this season, when Olivera will be counted on as a key fixture in the middle of the lineup.
- Though Ruben Amaro Jr.’s tenure as Phillies GM hasn’t produced the results the organization hoped for when Pat Gillick stepped aside in 2008, former president David Montgomery believes that Amaro deserves respect for the work he put in over the years, writes Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Amaro took the blame for a good deal of the Phillies’ misfortunes, but Montgomery notes that the decision to continue acting in a win-now capacity stretched beyond Amaro. “We pushed it hard,” said Montgomery. “We were all involved in it, and I’ve said that many times, as far as trying to get one more after we got ’08. We were all in. We knew the risk. We knew the risk that when you trade your near-ready minor leaguers, there’s going to be a dip.”
It was historically great trade for the mets. I hope they resign him.
As much as I personally love what he’s done for the Mets, that still remains to be seen. He could perform terribly over the next few weeks and in the playoffs and then not resign. Michael Fulmer could also become an excellent pitcher for years to come (provided he stays healthy). It’s been an great trade so far, but also far too early to judge.
A team that was last in offense in baseball is now first in the league and on their way to their first place finish in about a decade. Fulmer could have a great career and Céspedes could walk and it would still be a good trade for the Mets. When you already have 5 top young arms, a 6th isn’t all that useful. When you have zero 5-tool CF and acquire one, that is huge.
And if the Mets can sign Céspedes for something in that 6/$130 or 7/$150 range, they should do it now they know he can play a competent CF. That would allow them to play Conforto in LF next year, Céspedes in CF, and Granderson/Lagares platoon in RF.
I’ll be astonished (but not surprised) if NYM does not re-sign Cespedes, regardless of their 2015 outcome. This is exactly the way they wanted this to happen: Cespedes won’t cost a draft pick to sign, he only cost 1 heralded (yet unproven) arm that couldn’t have helped them during the stretch, he’s endeared himself to the NY fanbase while fed off the limelight, and he’s shown he wants to be in NY and play competitive baseball. I understand they might have some financial restraints, but they wanted offense, and here it is. To me, this would also give the fanbase another star as to not put so much attention on Wright (who is on the decline) and possibly Harvey, if NYM is positioning themselves to move him.
My point is not that Cespedes hasn’t been great. He has. My point is that he’s been with the Mets for 40 games. They gave up 6 years of control on someone who could be potentially great. Way too early to judge the deal.
Further, just because the Mets have a lot of young pitching doesn’t mean that Fulmer’s value should get diminished in any way. It was a risky trade that has so far worked out. But if the Mets flame out in the playoffs and Cespedes doesn’t resign, suddenly the trade looks worse.
I think the Mets have already won this trade. What’s left to see if the Tigers ALSO win this trade.
Interesting strategy by Ilitch considering Cespedes couldn’t be offered the QO, but it appears to have worked out.
Ilitch = Win now. He was not convinced they were out of it. As I recall, they were about 1.5 games behind Toronto for the Wildcard just before the deadline.
DD had to prove to Illich that he did not have the trade chips needed to be buyers at the deadline. Once Kasmir,(a big target), was lost as a possible addition, he knew they could not get what they needed with what they had to offer.
Cespedes needs to remember that the NY fans are great because the Mets are doing great. Once he cools down and NL pitchers start getting K’s on wild swings on outside sliders and curves,the fans may turn on him. I know he is older and more mature,but with Oakland and a bit with Boston, Cespedes had a hard time with the pressure being the “go to guy” in the middle of the lineup.
He had Ortiz as a buffer, but in NY he will be expected to produce the same way he is now on a long term deal if he signs with them. NY could become a very lonely place with nowhere to hide.
I get that, but they weren’t buyers and it would’ve made no sense to keep Cespdes after trading Price.
Ilitch might have actually thought that “VanMan” (Norris) could have come close to replacing Price. Smyly came close to matching Price last year after the trade. [Not saying I agree… just thinking it might have been his logic].
This year? There is no chance that was his logic. The Tigers were sellers at the deadline this year. That’s all there is to it.
Respect how ATL is handling Olivera in 2015, despite what all the Braves fans are complaining about not seeing him every day.
Cespedes has been a great fit on the Mets. He has transformed their lineup. Most inspiring playoff stretch since Carlos Beltran on the Astros. Hope the Mets sign him as Mets Nation loves him!
Slow down before declaring victory on the Cespedes trade.
There are dozens of examples of a player helping a team get to the playoffs while the team that gets the prospect also “wins”.
In 1987 Doyle Alexander transformed the Tigers into a power and had a ridiculously fantastic 9-0 record and a 1.53 ERA. The Tigers made the playoffs, which they would not have with out him. He was the exact equivalent of Cespedes on the pitching side.
After that John Smoltz (who was traded for Alexander) was in an Atlanta uniform for NINETEEN YEARS and is now in the Hall of Fame.
This is an extreme example, but there are many others that happen almost every single year. Judging trades this early is silly.
I think the Mets won this trade, regardless of how Fulmer does. If he does well, or if he bombs, it doesn’t affect the Mets at all. And it wasn’t going to had he not been traded because he had no chance of breaking the rotation this year. I hope Fulmer pitches great and the Tigers win their side of the trade as well, but as of now, Mets have clearly won their side by the production and energy Cespedes has provided.
By that logic, do you really think the Tigers won the Smoltz for Alexander trade?
The Tigers won ZERO championships with Alexander. They got a guy to help them get to the playoffs ONCE. That is it.
If Smoltz had anchored their staff, who knows how many playoffs and maybe championship the could have gotten to.
The Mets got exactly what they needed for a guy that, even if he develops nicely, would likely have a hard time cracking the rotation. Even if Fulmer turns into a solid mid-rotation starter, the extra wins Cespedes is providing now will likely be more valuable to the Mets. It was a great trade for NY.
Cespedes maybe helped them get to the playoffs one year early. In theory, their window could have been longer and stronger with Fulmer (controlled for 6 full years instead of just 9 weeks), even it were to be delayed until 2016.
I think if the Tigers won the 87 World Series then it would be very hard to say they lost the trade.
You are right that every trade needs to be judge after the effects are known. But you can make judgments so far with all else being equal. Right now Mets fans are more excited then they have been in years at this time of year and they’re in the final month of the season looking stronger than ever which is a great sign for the playoffs. So, so far win for the Mets. If Fulmer turns out to be Kershaw’s long lost little brother or Cespedes has trouble hitting in the playoffs then we can re-evaluate.
All bets are off if Mets WIN the World Series. Otherwise, they got a guy to help them for 9 weeks and the playoffs and traded two guys who are under control for 6 years each.
Remember that either way, they could have signed Cespedes to help in 2016 and beyond regardless.
In effect, the Mets got to open their “window” one year early and the cost was 12 controllable years (6 years each for 2 players).
Yes, but for two players who may or may not have been in their long term plans. Years of control are important, but there are also other things that are just as, or more so, important. If years were the only thing that mattered, no one would ever trade a prospect for a proven player.
Cespedes filled a need for the Mets while the Tigers didn’t really need him anymore. They needed young pitching, something the Mets have in abundance.
Simplifying it to saying years of control beat out short term production every time is a mistake.