Listen, we know it’s tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn’t easy. It’s OK, though, we’re going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network, as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
Yoenis Cespedes prefers the Mets but they won’t offer him more than 3 years
Friday’s Say Hey, Baseball includes Yoenis Cespedes, players conning the Red Sox and Royals’ cryotherapy.
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
* * *
Yoenis Cespedes is right there, waiting to be signed by the Mets. New York is not making it easy for him, though, as Ken Rosenthal reports that they not only are refusing to exceed a three-year deal with Cespedes, but won’t even discuss money with him until he agrees that a deal of three years or fewer is something he’d be interested in. All this is going on while their rivals, the Nationals, have reportedly offered a five-year deal worth at least $100 million. Clearly, Cespedes would like to return to the Mets, but they might need to step things up to make it happen.
New York might have figured out a workaround, though, as Buster Olney mentions that the two sides are discussing an opt-out after 2016 so Cespedes can take advantage of next winter’s far emptier free agent environment. It would still only be a three-year deal, but the Mets would get a one-year answer without a significant long-term commitment, and Cespedes could maybe prove that what people saw from him in 2015 is what they can expect for at least a few more years.
It still seems like New York should actually commit to something with Cespedes, especially when the reports are that he wants to be a Met, but for a number of Wilpon-related reasons it probably isn’t happening. Maybe three years will end up being good enough thanks to his desire to return to New York, but there is still time for someone to swoop in with something larger, or for the Nationals to up their offer if they think their prize is slipping away.
- Daniel Norris' 2015 ended with a cancer diagnosis, but he's had his treatment and now he's ready for baseball once more.
- The DH might be universal sooner than later, and here are three ways the Cardinals can prepare for a future with the designated hitter.
- Bill James works in the Red Sox front office, and he mentioned three players who essentially conned Boston out of money. Let's figure out who he's talking about!
- Is cryotherapy why the Royals stay healthy? They sure hope so.
- Everyone is talking about the Tigers now, but the White Sox could also be competitive if they can make a few more tweaks. Open that wallet for Cespedes, Jerry.
- Jeff Sullivan looked at a hidden reason for why velocity is up around the game.
- MLB Pipeline is releasing their positional lists for prospects, and Friday's is for the top-10 catching prospects in the game. They've already looked at pitchers, but that's it, so you're not too far behind if you hadn't noticed yet.
- The Chris Davis era in Baltimore has had its restart, as his deal is now official.
See More:
