With the Washington Nationals now the front runner to land Yoenis Cespedes in free agency, they may do so while sticking it to the New York Mets, who haven’t been willing to give the Cuban outfielder what he wants. A report from baseball analyst Ken Rosenthal states that the deal on the table is for five seasons, but that a dollar amount has not yet been revealed. The offense was a problem that might have just been addressed in a big way.
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More recently, they made a late run at Justin Upton, offering him a shorter term than he received in his six-year, $132.75 million contract with the Tigers, sources said.
For one thing, Cespedes could be the same difference-maker next year in a race between the two NL East rivals as he was last season – only this time he could put the Nationals, not the Mets, over the top.
If the Nationals’ interest in Cespedes is legit, that could lead to a nightmare scenario for the Mets.
And don’t forget: The Nats shocked the market last year when they signed right-hander Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million contact.
In any case, the Nationals seem willing to take the plunge. The White Sox, Mets and Padres have also been linked to the 30-year-old outfielder of late, but none have made a hard push, which could open the door for a team like the Nats.
Trading Jayson Werth is a possibility in order to slot Cespedes in left, Ben Revere and Michael Taylor in center, and Bryce Harper in right. Rosenthal also notes that while the Nats don’t now have an opening for Cespedes, their ownership is “intrigued” by him.
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After batting. 291 with 35 homers in 2015, Cespedes has reportedly been seeking a long-term, big-money contract.
