DEC. 30: Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com writes that after checking around with the Orioles in light of their connection to Cespedes, he doesn’t get the sense that any deal is close. Kubatko writes that a team source indicated no chance of the Orioles going near MLBTR’s projected $140MM price tag on Cespedes, and another source told Kubatko that a contract proposal hasn’t even been presented to ownership at this time. Pitching remains the Orioles’ primary focus at this time, according to Kubatko.
DEC. 29: The Orioles and White Sox are emerging as the favorites to land outfielder Yoenis CespedesĀ “for now,” reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). According to Sanchez, the Giants and Angels are also “in the mix,” and the Rangers are monitoring the situation (though Sanchez’s implication seems to be that they’re relatively far removed from a serious pursuit).
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports linked the ChiSox to Cespedes earlier this morning while reporting that the club was actively seeking an outfield upgrade. Per Rosenthal, longtime division rival Alex Gordon is still on the Sox’ radar as well as the team searches for a superior corner option — presumably, an upgrade over Avisail Garcia. Either Garcia or Melky Cabrera would be logical candidates to lose playing time in the event of an outfield acquisition for the Sox, though the team could try to find a taker for some of Adam LaRoche’s contract and move Cabrera to DH instead. Cabrera, though, batted a solidĀ .288/.330/.449 with 11 homers from June 1 through seasonās end after initially struggling with his new team in 2015, so he’s probably still in the team’s plans. (The $29MM owed to him from 2016-17 undoubtedly plays a role in that picture as well.)
The Orioles have a clear need for additional help in the outfield corners, as Adam Jones currently projects to be flanked MLB newcomer Hyun-soo Kim and Nolan Reimold. While Kim, one of the top hitters in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past several years, could emerge as a viable everyday option, he’s untested and figures to have some form of adjustment period even if he does prove to be a quality Major Leaguer. Adding Cespedes to the mix would lessen the need for immediate production from Kim, who could perhaps be eased into MLB a bit more, as countryman Jung Ho Kang was with the Pirates in 2015.
For Baltimore, adding Cespedes would unquestionably require a franchise-record contract (though the same could be said of the White Sox), as Jones’ six-year, $85.5MM deal is the largest in club history at this time. Baltimore has made a strong effort to retain slugger Chris Davis this offseason, reportedly offering $150MM over a seven-year term. Cespedes’ ultimate price tag could approach that point, though many predictions, including MLBTR’s six-year, $140MM projection from early November, have him falling shy of that mark. An earnest pursuit of Cespedes would at the very least clash with previous reports pertaining to the Orioles, which indicated that the team was only interested in spending this type of money on Davis and would not re-allocate the funds to another top-tier free agent were Davis to ultimately sign elsewhere. While the extent of their willingness to spend may be somewhat uncertain,it seems unlikely that the Orioles would be able to sign both Cespedes and Davis. In other words, if Baltimore does indeed bring Cespedes into the fold, it would probably spell the end of Davis’ tenure with the Birds. Should that prove to be the case, the Orioles can deploy trade acquisition Mark Trumbo at first base in 2016, giving the club a wealth of right-handed pop between Cespedes, Trumbo, Jones and Manny Machado.
The Angels have long been connected to corner outfield upgrades, and GM Billy Eppler has said he believes owner Arte Moreno will approve a luxury tax penalty for the right player. The rest of the team’s moves this winter, however, would seem to indicate a strong preference to remain underneath that $189MM barrier, however, as the additions of free agents Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry as well as trade pickups Yunel Escobar and Andrelton Simmons have all been of the lower-cost variety (financially speaking).
As for the Giants, they’ve been more than willing to spend this offseason, adding both Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto to their rotation after a strong pursuit of Zack Greinke came up short and giving Brandon Crawford a $75MM extension. The three players received a combined $285MM in guaranteed money from the Giants, and GM Bobby Evans recently said on MLB Network Radio that he still hopes to add a left fielder, thereby shifting Gregor Blanco into a valuable fourth outfield role. Evans emphasized the trade market in that interview, though one wouldn’t expect a GM to openly broadcast his desire to spend top dollar on a free-agent upgrade, either.
Make it happen, Evans. Blanco and Pagan are both free agents after the season and next years class is a joke. Gotta get someone now.
If he hits 25+ homers in 2016, Josh Reddick’s going to get $100M next year, lol
That probably isn’t far off. Hands down the top of the class.
Unlikely that pagan can stay healthy a full year. Blanco a great 4th outfielder. Sign alex gordon to play left and give jarod parker a couple more years. Cespedes will cost too much and h’e’s not ‘a giant’ because he lacks fundentaks, despite immense raw talent.
Man, I honestly have no idea who will sign Upton, Cespedes or Gordon. Throw a dart at a board and you’ll have just as good an idea as any “insider”.
As an Orioles fan and season ticket holder since 1984, I’m leery of Cespedes. Too many teams over too short a period spells possible clubhouse cancer, and he hits from the right side. Bring back Crush, or sign Gordon. Let the White Sox have this guy.
Nah, he’s not a clubhouse cancer, he was traded by Oakland for Jon Lester, then was traded for 5 years of Porcello. He’s fine and comes from legendary baseball/softball family. His mom is in the Cuban HOF, he’s no Puig.
He was traded for 1 year of Porcello. The other 4 years are Boston’s fault.
Boss61, i dont think cespedes been traded because of personality or performance issues. Just been bad luck. A’s traded him for lester and that ended up hurting them. Red Sox traded him because of the flurry of upcoming outfielder they had. Tigers traded him because this was his final contract season and Detriot’s season went down the drain once miggy got hurt.. I think cespedes fits nice in camden And O’s get to pick the 14th overall pick in the draft
Oakland didn’t get better when they traded Cespedes. They got worse. That’s the opposite of what you expect to happen when getting rid of a clubhouse problem. There was never even a rumor of him being a problem in Detroit. He was a much better OF than I expected when he was here. He ran good routes and covered good ground, and teams were wary to run on him. Other than length of contract, I don’t know why a team wouldn’t want him.
You play in Camden Yards. Why the hell are you worried about him being right handed?
Because the whole lineup is basically righties, esp. the middle of the order.
The makings of a lineup w a glaring weakness against RHPs, and makes it easier for the opposing club’s by saving them an arm or two, late in games.
Come on mets offer 4 years at 23 mill per season. Him and an arm for the bullpen Are the final pieces we need
No way he signs a 4 year deal.
Wilpons are too cheap to sign Cespedes.I agree that a big bat and another good pen man is all they need to return to the World Series.They have to take advantage of a tremendous starting staff ASAP
O’s should sign cespedes and keep their pick.. Move on from davis… First time I’ve seen one guy stall his previous team’s every desicion.. Red sox and yankees both went out and got better. O’s need a move to stay relevant. A couple to be exact but atleast a big one
Would rather have Upton, but Cespedes would solve the Orioles’ position player problem.
Then add Cliff Lee or Mat Latos one a one year contract, and we can keep the 14th pick.
And then we only have to pray for bouncebacks from Tillman and Gonzalez, and average production from Kim and Rickard, and it’s a contending not season.
Grr what an embarrassing typo…
Please, no. Cespedes is a likely candidate to regress, and he is a RH bat that would add to a lineup already overloaded with RH hitters. If we’re going to pass on Davis, please give the money to Alex Gordon rather than Cespedes. Gordon does everything the O’s need (hit LH, get on base, play outstanding defense, hit for moderate power) while Cespedes really doesn’t.
Godron is older, but Cespedes is more likely to regress? On what planet is that true?
On a planet where Cespedes is just as likely to be a lousy hitter with power than a good hitter, has never walked 50 times in a year, and is a terrible defender with a great arm. Meanwhile on the same planet, Gordon has been much more consistent, hasn’t had a bad year since he reestablished himself as a regular in 2011, and won four Gold Gloves. And, as I said in my original post, he’s a LH and the O’s desperately need to add another LH hitter to their lineup.
Cespedes has drawn less walks every single season despite getting more PA’s. He takes terrible routes to flyballs, makes a ton of errors, but his cannon makes him an above average defensive player. He had a huge power surge with NY and isn’t likely to hit 35 HR’s again.
Cespedes is by far the best option for the sox. Hopefully he feels the same. White Sox have a long and positive history with Cuban ball players ; from Minoso to Alexei Ramirez to Jose Abreu. Hopefully Cespedes can be a part of that tradition
Angelos may be fuming because Davis won’t commit. Subtle, eh? Leak interest in someone else willing to sign a big contract. In the end Davis may end up in St. Louis….for the exact same dollars.
For the White Sox, Cespedes is the best option for ‘Winning now’ and also not paying later. At two years younger he is better than Gordon, who reportedly wants a long term deal.. For a guy who is 32 and likely will see his skills diminish without ‘chemical assistance’. Plus I think if you sign Cespedes and the Sox fail again by midseason (which could easily occur with Robin still.. umm.. managing this club). If you have to trade a guy like Gordon you will likely need to eat a lot of salary for a 32 year old. As for the log jam in the OF, Garcia to the Minors to either fix his swing or go bye bye. Finally the draft picks.. Upton or Gordon will cost the Sox a draft pick, and Cespedes will not (which is good when the Sox need to continue to rebuilt their system on the fly). Gordon is a lefty, but otherwise I think that Cespedes is the better take here.
And just to be clear, Im NOT saying Gordon ‘Juices’. Making a remark that most players tend to see their skill diminish without the assistance when they get into their mid thirties.
I agree with you NRD1138
I’m a Red Sox fan but I want the Orioles to get Cespedes. They really need to move on from Chris Davis. He’s a great hitter but at some point you got to know your limits. You have a hole in the OF so fill it with Cespedes. Trumbo will do just fine at 1B while Davis goes off to a new team. Then hopefully spend the rest of your cash on a SP and call it an offseason (for the most part).
Yes exactly, though I’d prefer Upton.
Looking forward to duking it out with the Bosox
You figure the Jays and Yanks aren’t relevant?
Yea, they only were 1 and 2 in mlb in runs scored last year,
Rest of cash? Ha O’s said that 150 million was for Chris only.Dont see O’s signing a guy who turn down 23 mil a year. We will have better luck trading for an OF.This is just a PR move leak O’s want this guy so fan think we are trying. And maybe scare Davis a little.
I like Gordon too but let’s face it he was hitting in 7 hole in KC. He is not a premier offensive player and aging. A good player not a great player. And paying him 80-100 million is crazy.
Gordon hitting 7th for KC is more of a complement to KC then a knock on Gordon.
Since his first true breakout season in 2011, he has an .809 OPS, plus he had a .809 OPS last year.
Mix that with some elite outfield defense, hes a 100M player. 100M doesn’t buy you what it used to.
4/88M is more what I would be comfortable with.
I’m with Francisco on this one. He’s a nice player but a huge long term contract for a guy who will be 32 this year and whose stats have started to slide?
Giants should sign Cespedes, the team is good but with his presence is going to be even better contributing. Go Giants.Another, team that could sign him is Chicago White Sox
I dream of a scenario where the Os get Cespedes and Davis! I know it’s almost impossible but the Os said they were going to try and sign a #2 type pitcher with Davis which would have been pretty expensive. They are unhappy with the options left in the pitching market and would rather spend 140 on Cespedes then 100 for Chen. This team could have the best offense in the league with the addition of Trumbo, Cespedes, and Kim in addition to retaining Wieters and Davis.
That’s cool and all, but the rotation still needs help to the tune of a #2 or #3 starter.
It does but the Os don’t wanna pay for what it cost to get Gallardo, Kazmir, Maeda, or Chen the four remaining #3’s. So they should go with Latos or Fister for the 5 th spot. If that doesn’t work give Wilson a shot
We have proven that we can’t out score teams on the road. . Everyone is a power hitter in Camden Yards. . Starters have got to get people out. All the elite teams are loading up bullpens . . Early inning deficits going be harder to over come.
He doesn’t cost a draft choice and his bat is huge. But, why has he bounced around? Why don’t the Mets want him back.? He seems to be a great fit for NY.
Oakland traded him so they can get Lester.
Sox traded him because he didn’t want to play LF, and they wanted Porcello
Tigers traded him because they stunk and he was an impending FA.
Mets don’t want him back because money.
The Mets ownership sucks. They continue to siphon off money from the club and TV station to cover losses from Madoff and poor liquidity. It’s *always* about money w. the Mets. They said they’d go 2-3yr w Cespedes, didn’t even bother w. Murphy, etc.
Is there any market for Pagan? Would love to see the Giants trade him and sign Upton for left field. Would be happy with Blanco/Williamson manning center field.
The answer to that is no but they would be just as well off doing the same thing and making Pagan the 4th/5th outfielder.
If there’s one thing that the White Sox are good for these days it’s sneaking in and overpaying for the Tier 2-3 free agents and trade targets while the big boys are fighting over tier 1.
Yeah yeah. How did Edwin Jackson work out for your beloved Cubbies, by the way? I root for both clubs in Chicago, but seeing absurd statements like this from Cubs fans really makes me want to root against them.
Hahah tier 1. Who? Ben Zobrist? John Lackey?? Epstien has egg all over his face when he realized he was bidding against himself in signing these players. But keep telling yourself that paying zobrist/lackey $30mm per year is a good deal. Also keep telling yourself that Cubs lineup having the worst Batting avg and most strikeouts in baseball doesn’t concern you at all. Laughing out loud.
Hayward is supposedly “tier 1” …..but the hard fact is this is a guy who, for the last three years, has averaged 12HR 60RBI.
Defense has value too.
it does, but the only people paid for their defense are primarily SS’s and Catchers. With the other positions, good defense is just a bonus. Ozzie Smith, and Yadier Molina were/are great defensively in key positions and whose offense just happened to be a bonus. And ARod, when he was a gold glove winning shortstop who hit 50HR’s…well, he became the highest paid player in baseball history. Of course, there has only been one ARod. But in the OF, where a player might touch the ball an average of twice a game….offense is far more important and Hayward, even though he did have a nearly .360 OBP, just doesn’t supply much pop from a position teams count on for run production.
Defense does have value. Not $200 million though.
And lets face it, he’s the Cubs CF. If it were RF, yeah, his value is high defensively. But he’s essentially replacement level in center. He’s a worse option than the guy they had there last year, who hit about as well while providing plus defense in center.
Who are you to say that they won’t sign or trade for a center fielder?
I guess if you win 97 games with the lowest batting average and the most k’s, you are doing something right.
Until you run up to a team that has better pitching than yours.. Remind me, who made it to the WS again? I think it was ….the Mets, right?
I would be very surprised to the Cubs do this again unless their hitters learn some discipline. It will be interesting to see this Cubs line up this season now that pitchers all have books on the Cubs hitters and their tendencies.
Considering the Cubs were the 2nd team in baseball in walks… Lol me thinks some people should remove foot from mouth before speaking. Plate discipline much ?
2015 WAR
7. John Lackey 5.59
8. M. Bumgarner 4.86
11. Felix Hernandez 4.4
12. Matt Harvey 4.3
25. David Price 3.55
The bigger the number the better.
Spoiler alert. “I am you father chitown311.”
Says the guy from the team who consistently pays tier 2-3 guys tier 1 salaries. Ooof.
Jon Lester and John Lackey for ridiculous money and years in their twilight instead of Max Scherzer and David Price.
Have fun getting swept in the playoffs the next year and then falling off the map after that.
David Price as good as he maybe has always had era’s around 3. That’s in similar as Lester. His numbers may not have been as good last year but his peripherals stated that his numbers should have been better. I do agree that he doesn’t scream ace in most guys eyes but he’s close.
David Price is a fireballer with a better swing and miss rate and Cy Young in trophy case. Lester was a oft injured guy who relies on movement to be successful. Before the Cubs signed him, he was starting to show regression in his command. That worsened last year, and will only continue as he ages. While David Price is still an elite option, Lester is closer to back end of the rotation than front end.
Price also has something like a 1-8 record in the post season. The Red Sox can keep him.. The Cubs did, however, over pay for lackluster pitching in Lackey though. Could have gotten someone like Zimmerman if they were quicker. Still would not surprise me if the Cubs trade for another younger starter still.
Man are you biased. their bb9 are identical their k9 is identical. Yes Price has better stuff now but flame throwers age way worse than soft tossers who have good control. Don’t know what you have against the Cubs but down grading them by just pointing out the weaknesses shows your inability to look at all the numbers across the board. You should take your negativity somewhere else.
His bb9 was identical to last year please state facts when joining a conversation. We don’t need your know it all stuff. We want data.
Price and Kershaw may suck in the post season. So what?” Those two will get you that far so they can pitch for me anytime! š
You think the Cubs will fall off that fast? Look how much depth they have and player control? You think zobrist isn’t good enough? How about Rizzo? Think Bryant is trash too? Tell me somebody on their team you think is just bad. You tell me. You are looking at easily a 100 win team next season. You say that batting average mattered but the mets had just as bad of a batting average. Playoffs comes down to one thing and one thing only. Pitching. That’s why the mets and the royals made it. The royals had a solid starting rotation. And the best bullpen in baseball.
I think you’re delusional if you think the Cubs have a good rotation.
And yet when I go to fangraphs and look at team pitching stats, they list the Cubs first. Ok, they are first in WAR at 24.2. You don’t like WAR? They are first in FIP at 3.30. A team era of 3.36, third best in baseball, doesn’t sound too horrible.
Debating baseball is fun. Except when people hate so much, they just ignore the facts. Like only 3 other teams gave up fewer runs last year. Isn’t that what a good pitching staff is supposed to do? Limit runs.
WAR and FIP are relative to past performance, they are not indicators of future performance.
Lester had his worst season from a command of the baseball standpoint last year. The same could be said one year earlier. He is clearly regressing, and is going to fall off. Probably sooner rather than later. But he’s not an elite pitcher anymore. Really hasn’t been for years.
Lackey is coming off pretty much his only elite season, a career year at the back end of his 30’s. He’s case and point why those peripherals don’t indicate future success. Of course he isn’t going to do that again. He’s never been better than a #2, and since hitting 30 he’s mostly been a #4.
We can argue for days on Arrieta. But in truth your Cubbie goggles won’t look past those six weeks of, admittedly, stellar baseball. It doesn’t matter to you that he was a #2 before that, and it doesn’t matter to you that after those six weeks he went back to being that same pitcher with great stuff and control problems. You’ll see that same pitcher for years, despite the lack of ace production you’ll see from him in the coming years.
I think WAR and these other stats are only there to justify acquisitions of average talent for superstar money. Look at many of the top WARs in the league and I’m sure some guys come up that would make you shake your head and go, ‘…but he is average’. Trust your eyes and how these guys do in situational pitching and hitting, trust on how many errors they make in the field. IMO WAR is useless or misleading many times.
if you’re into WAR, FIP or whatever new made up stat now being used by Bill James desciples, fine. As an old fart, I’ll prefer to stick to the basics like Runs scored, runs driven in, HR, avg AND obp. same for pitchers. Yes…i know stats fluctuate depending on factors like the home park, defense, weather. But I didn’t need WAR to know Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Warren Spahn and Sandy Koufax were great players. If you’re coming up with stats that suggest that Hayward or Lester match up to Aaron and Gibson….then that’s where we’ll just have to part. That they can get big money—it’s about the market.
WAR and FIP have there pl.ace. WAR tells you how good someone was relative to others at the position. It just doesn’t say anything about whether or not someone will continue to do so. It isn’t a scouting statistic, it’s better served in viewing who was better in the past.
FIP is a great stat for determining if someone is lucky or not. It doesn’t say much about future performance or regression. If you outperform your FIP, sure, you’re probably going to regress. But if you’re at it or higher than it, it really doesn’t mean a ton. For the record – Lackey was about a run better than his FIP. Lots of regression is expected there.
Still, nothing beats the eye test and scout evaluations. Lackey is losing velocity and has an escalating line drive rate against. Lester has diminished command of the strike zone which is plummeting his K/BB peripherals (which is the best evaluation method for future regression, btw). If you made me choose if both guys would lead the Cubs as aces, or if both guys had 5 ERAS next year, the clear and obvious choice is that both guys would have an ERA in the 5’s next year. Because they’re both pretty close to done.
Lackey had a nice year for STL and if you gave out BFTB (Bang for the buck) awards, Lackey would be near the top of any list last year. But Lackey’s WAR was higher than Bumgarner, deGrom,Cole, Hamels, Hernandez…..and there’s no way in heck I would want Lackey over those others last year. It’s almost double of Michael Wacha’s and he won 17 games!
Please define what a good rotation is then.
Hope the sox and cubs have a great year next year. Cubs upgraded in certain areas and the Sox upgraded and seems to still be upgrading their offense. No need to fight inside the same state people.
It’s early in the offseason, but I don’t view the Cubs as a serious contender yet. They need one, if not two, elite pitchers at the top of their rotation. Lester and Lackey are fine back end guys. Six weeks of Arrieta isn’t enough to convince me he’s there. Especially with the way he went back to being his normal bad command self in the playoffs. He’s probably a mid rotation starter who just had a crazy hot streak. Guys with better pure stuff tend to have those.
I know Cubs fans are going to hate hearing that, but you look at the Mets rotation and the Diamondbacks rotation, both having 3 or 4 guys that will absolutely shut down that 90% swing and miss Cubs lineup and it’s pretty obvious they are built only for regular season success. They’re basically the 90’s Indians, and management doesn’t seem to care. Hell, I wouldn’t either. They’re filling the stadium.
I don’t think the cubs are going to fade from contention any time soon. I’m no cubs fan, but they were a 96 win team last season with a rookie offensive core. All of the rookies from last season are just more experienced than last year, so I think it wouldn’t be totally out of the question to say that they’re going to improve.
Meanwhile the pitching staff has largely the same, the addition of lackey is enough to adjust for the almost guaranteed regression of Arrieta.
” management doesnāt seem to care”
really!!??
if only they would have spent some money on some higher OPS guys.
It’s all speculation just chill man!
The Giants will get either Upton or Cespedes, they have the money to get it done. I’m not sure the O’s will make a high enough bid to get either one.
maybe the Texas Rangers will sign upton or cespedes ? but i think rangers are trying to get james shields right now
I don’t see the Rangers having the money for Upton or Cespedes …..and Shields is really not a big need for Texas. The Rangers are counting on Yu, Holland and Perez coming back to form along with Hamels forming a nice rotation with youngsters like Gonzalez or Martinez and the recently resigned Colby Lewis.
Cubs fans LOL
Hey take it easy. It’s not every year they get the opportunity to get swept out of the playoffs. They’ve only made and gotten swept out of the playoffs 3 times in the last 10 years. There were seven other years of pure misery between those chosen Cubs seasons. š
Lol or you might as well point out 107 years of misery… Smh, if you think the Cubs are a barely playoff-caliber team, you’re mistaken. Team won 97 games in the toughest division last year. Made major improvements this year, and, all the young bucks get a little better. Sure, Jake might not perform to the same numbers last year, but you would be stupid to think he’ll fall off map. Enough garbage about him being a #2… Dude won CY. Beat out Grienke and Kershaw. He was a stud and is going to continue to pitch like one. His Cut-Slider is filthy. And Lester might be more of a 3 than a 2, but he would be one of the best 3’s in the league. Lackey is a major upgrade over hammel and Hendricks. The bullpen aquire more moving parts to hopefully jive with Maddon’s guidance. This lineup is best in the NL. Defense needs work, and who wouldn’t want another #2 or #3 pitcher. Bullpen is no Yankees/royals, but they’ve put in hard work. Anyone who doesn’t think the Cubs will win because of their past is an idjit
The Cubs will eventually win another World Series. Maybe it’ll happen in 2016…..maybe not till 2040. Who knows. The past doesn’t guarantee failure or success. The Red Sox finally broke their steak. However, fans of the Cards, Yanks, Dodgers and Giants are more likely not to give up hope as fast as a fan of some of the other teams. But Albert, Ozzie, Gibby, Stan, Diz or Hornsby aren’t around. On the other hand, neither are Milton Bradley, Steve Swisher, Ernie Broglio or Bob Rush. Did the Cubs improve themselves? Who knows? Maybe Arrietta will win 25. Maybe he’ll go 4-`15. That’s why they play the games.
i would still take Kershaw or Chris Sale he punished the cubs last season
The white sox should have signed cespedes already. We don’t need anyone slipping in there and getting the guy we wanted all along and be left with a back up choice and a lost draft pick
As a Sox fan I’d rather have Upton but I’d take Cespedes. I don’t think Gordon fits into the team. We already got too many infielders.
Uhm… Which Gordon do you think they’re talking about?
Both Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Gordon have primarily been left fielders in their MLB careers, with the former also playing a decent amount of time in CF. Each has won Gold Gloves in LF, Cespedes his first last season while Gordon had gathered 4 consecutive awards through 2014 since he moved to the position full time in 2011. Cespedes has never played an inning in RF while Gordon has only appeared there 3 times, although both would profile at the position with their strong throwing arms.
Alex Gordon would not only give the White Sox more balance in their lineup as a left-handed hitter, he could also hit in the #2 or #3 spots in the batting order with his high OBP, ahead of sluggers Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier. His ability to hit higher up in the batting order might allow for the White Sox to consider a trade of current LF Melky Cabrera to one of the teams that loses out on a premium OF this offseason. Cabrera’s remaining two years on his contract ($14M and $15M) are quite reasonable compared to the deals Cespedes, Gordon and Upton figure to get, as well as the money still left on Carlos Gonzalez deal ($17M and $20M) who is reportedly being offered in trade by the Colorado Rockies.
Yoenis Cespedes would not profile as well higher up in the batting order as a free swinger with a lower OBP. He is the better HR and RBI producer and would fit much better behind Abreu in the White Sox batting order. If Cespedes were signed, it would be more important that Cabrera was retained by the White Sox as their #2 hitter, with Abreu remaining at his accustomed #3 slot, followed by either Cespedes or Frazier.
Of course, Cabrera could be kept regardless of a Cespedes or Gordon signing which would then make Avisail Garcia more likely as the odd man out as a regular in the lineup depending on future moves involving him or Adam LaRoche. Ideally, Gordon or Cespedes should remain in their accustomed LF spots and the switch-hitting Cabrera ought to be a fixture in the White Sox batting order. So the White Sox would then have to determine who spends the bulk of time in RF and as the DH between Cabrera, Garcia and LaRoche. Ideally, the White Sox would move two of those three, freeing up some salary with either Cabrera and/or LaRoche, then trade for a more reasonably priced RF who can play good defense and also hit, somebody like Yasiel Puig, who, like Cabrera can hit further up in the batting order ahead of Abreu. An outfield of Cespedes/Gordon in LF, Adam Eaton in CF and Puig in RF, along with the leftover of Cabrera, Garcia or Laroche at DH would likely make the White Sox the team to beat in the A.L. Central, if not the entire American League.
Josh Reddick would be another possibility as a RF option for the White Sox in addition to Yasiel Puig. GM Rick Hahn has already made two major trades with the A’s Billy Beane in the past year or so, along with the three team deal recently consummated with the Dodgers contingent of Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi.
Is it possible that owners are suddenly recognizing that giant contracts have turned into disasters virtually every time? How could Cespedes, Upton or Gordon possibly be worth more than $10 million a year? They aren’t real difference makers.
Is this a joke?
Well anything above 1 WAR is estimated to be worth $8 million. Are you insinuating that Cespedes, Upton, and Gordon are hardly worth 1 WAR? Because I have a feeling that you’d be alone in that argument.
Considering that the core they have is aging (besides Machado of course) the Orioles should make up their minds on wether to rebuild or not.
Rangers sign Cespedes and trade choo for a pitcher
Deshiels
Odor
Fielder
Beltre
Cespedes
Hamilton
Moreland
Andrus
Chirinos
Choo makes too much money. The Rangers would have to eat millions and they’re not going to do that.
Both Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Gordon have primarily been left fielders in their MLB careers, with the former also playing a decent amount of time in CF. Each has won Gold Gloves in LF, Cespedes his first last season while Gordon had gathered 4 consecutive awards through 2014 since he moved to the position full time in 2011. Cespedes has never played an inning in RF while Gordon has only appeared there 3 times, although both would profile at the position with their strong throwing arms.
Alex Gordon would not only give the White Sox more balance in their lineup as a left-handed hitter, he could also hit in the #2 or #3 spots in the batting order with his high OBP, ahead of sluggers Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier. His ability to hit higher up in the batting order might allow for the White Sox to consider a trade of current LF Melky Cabrera to one of the teams that loses out on a premium OF this offseason. Cabrera’s remaining two years on his contract ($14M and $15M) are quite reasonable compared to the deals Cespedes, Gordon and Upton figure to get, as well as the money still left on Carlos Gonzalez deal ($17M and $20M) who is reportedly being offered in trade by the Colorado Rockies.
Yoenis Cespedes would not profile as well higher up in the batting order as a free swinger with a lower OBP. He is the better HR and RBI producer and would fit much better behind Abreu in the White Sox batting order. If Cespedes were signed, it would be more important that Cabrera was retained by the White Sox as their #2 hitter, with Abreu remaining at his accustomed #3 slot, followed by either Cespedes or Frazier.
Of course, Cabrera could be kept regardless of a Cespedes or Gordon signing which would then make Avisail Garcia more likely as the odd man out as a regular in the lineup depending on future moves involving him or Adam LaRoche. Ideally, Gordon or Cespedes should remain in their accustomed LF spots and the switch-hitting Cabrera ought to be a fixture in the White Sox batting order. So the White Sox would then have to determine who spends the bulk of time in RF and as the DH between Cabrera, Garcia and LaRoche. Ideally, the White Sox would move two of those three, freeing up some salary with either Cabrera and/or LaRoche, then trade for a more reasonably priced RF who can be an upgrade, somebody like Yasiel Puig, Josh Reddick or Jorge Soler. An outfield of Cespedes/Gordon in LF, Adam Eaton in CF and Puig/Reddick/Soler in RF, along with the leftover of Cabrera, Garcia or Laroche at DH would likely make the White Sox the team to beat in the A.L. Central, if not the entire American League.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say he’s a clubhouse cancer, but something’s always smelled fishy with him.
I hear a lot of rationalization a why he’s been traded so often but think about it. If you had a great 3 or 4 hitter, who seems to be producing strong power and RBIs, you wouldn’t deal him at all. He’s the linchpin of your team, and pretty much untouchable. So, why has Cespedes been traded several times yearly by different teams? It’s more than just odd luck. There’s something behind the scenes going on here.
It was never odd luck. The first was literally the A’s, they traded Josh Donaldson with multiple years of control, it’s not surprising they traded Cespedes with a year left. The Tigers were not in contention and Cespedes was going to be a free agent, why not trade him? Same logic to Boston, they had an OF surplus and needed pitching, why not trade the guy who only had a year left?
FIRE VENTURA NOW!!!!!!
Whitesox have way better pitching than the cubs and white sox rookie Carlos Rodon was the 3rd overall pick in the draft and looked really good last year. Chris Sale is only 26, Jose quintana is 27 , carlos rodon is 23 and their number 1 draft pick carson fulmer looks really good and they could bring him up this year. The whitesox are a very underated team and having elite pitching is what wins world series