The New York Mets swung a trade to land star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes earlier this summer and it’s paid off in a big way. A once lethargic Mets offense now has the power and consistency to match it’s elite pitching rotation, and suddenly New York is a playoff lock with World Series aspirations.
It’s a pretty nice spot to be in if you’re the Mets. They might few differently in a few months. Per reports, New York is already thinking about life without one of their best offensive players, as they have other guys they have to worry about keeping and bringing Yo back would cost a bit more than they’d like to give up.
With Yoenis Cespedes hitting free agency this spring, it’s highly possible he’ll be on his fourth team in as many years. With that being a possibility, let’s take a second to look at five teams that could be willing to pay up to land him for the 2016 MLB season:
Kansas City Royals
One of the best teams in all of baseball can still get better, as the Royals could really use Yo’s power and defense. The Royals were already loosely tied to Cespedes this summer in trade rumors, so it wouldn’t be a shock if they pulled the trigger on a long-term deal with him after the season.
Baltimore Orioles
Camden Yards can be a beautiful place, especially with the O’s have mean power hitters to abuse opposing defenses. Cespedes could potentially be a part of that dream, as Chris Davis is a free agent and the Orioles could have to replace him. Even if Crush stays in Baltimore, the Orioles could use another bat for their sick offense to help push them over the top.
New York Yankees
Since when do the Yankees just settle with what they have? New York is going to be very busy this off-season, as they know they need a big arm or two and will also want another bat or three. Cespedes certainly qualifies as a big, effective bat and he could post career numbers spending the majority of his time at Yankee Stadium.
Detroit Tigers
Say what? Yes, Cespedes got traded to the Tigers last year and this year they unloaded him to the Mets to make sure they didn’t lose him for nothing in free agency. But Detroit will need to be looking for offensive fire power again next year and there has been chatter that landing Yo on a long-term deal is something they’re very interested in. Detroit was looking like a strong contender before they traded away their top talent, including Cespedes. It’s possible they realize their mistake and get him back in town.
New York Mets
That’s right, even with all the rumors of Cespedes moving on and the Mets not wanting to pay up, there is still a small possibility things could work out and he winds up right back in New York. The Mets can’t ignore how good they’ve been since his power was brought into town, and if they get far in the playoffs they may want to strongly consider bringing their best offensive player back to stick around for good.
Got another spot Yo could wind up in 2016? Tell us in the comments below!
