This week’s question to
the Mack’s Mets writers comes from Reese Kaplan and is:
If a GM approached you
about a deal for Yoenis Cespedes would you ask
him to waive his non-trade clause?
Mack says –
I don’t consider any ballplayer untradeable, unless his
contract states that fact.
Cespedes wears his emotion on his sleeve and approaching him
could just cause a return to the drama we saw this past season.
I hate contracts with a no-trade clause but a deal is a deal.
What I would do is quietly approach the subject with a
handful of GMs that I trusted to keep the reason for the telephone call hush
hush. It wouldn’t take a lot of time to research the teams in need of another
premier outfielder.
See what they would offer. Explain to that GM that this just
might be an exercise in futility but negotiate the deal for the most you could
get. If you like the deal, tell the GM you will confidentially approach
Cespedes with the deal, but tell him that the process started with a call from
the outside team.
It would take an awful lot to make me make this deal, but,
yes, I would try under the above conditions.
Gary McDonald says –
Yes. You would probably have to wave some money in
front of him, but, I would do it.
Reese Kaplan says –
There's
a reason why Yoenis Cespedes has bounced around
between four teams during his first four years in the majors since emigrating
from Cuba. Oakland, Boston and Detroit
all tired of his act before Sandy Alderson sent
Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer to Motor City
to acquire the enigmatic slugger midway through 2015.
We all saw what he can do when he's motivated. He took a team that had virtually no offense
and propelled it all the way to the World Series. Unfortunately, his motivation, his ego and
his approach to conditioning have made many already sour on him.
Considering the money he's being paid, he's an unlikely
acquisition target for other clubs.
However, if the Mets were to kick in a substantial amount to bring him
down to say $20 million per year for the remainder of the deal, then they would
have quite a bit of booty to invest in fortifying the club. One of the major changes the team needed to
make was in its internal culture. That
started with the change in manager, but they backpedaled a bit by bringing back
one of the malcontents, Asdrubal Cabrera. Perhaps parting ways with the other
malcontent and bringing in multiple (albeit) lesser talents could generate in
aggregate what Cespedes could do on his own for a similar cost. That comes with the huge caveat that in
addition to being motivated he's also not on the DL. The better clubhouse would be worth the
change alone.
Then again, as much as I'd like to lay the blame on the head
of the deposed Skipper, Cespedes' track record elsewhere suggests guilt on both
parts with perhaps more of it on the player than the manager. I'd certainly not hang up the phone. An extra $20 million to spend could mean, for
example, a trade for Jose Abreu and a flyer on
someone like Evan Gattis who is rumored to be
non-tendered.
Tom Brennan says –
I am keeping Yo unless the offer is just too
good to refuse. I think he will have a
big - and healthy - season. If the deal
were THAT good, such as an even-up trade for Stanton, sure I would ask
him. He might like being that much
closer to Cuba again.
Jack Flynn says –
Any
professional sports franchise has to do what is in the best interests of team
success. Therefore, there is not a single player on the New York Mets who
should be considered untouchable. That includes Yoenis
Cespedes, who I think is unfairly the subject of wild rumors and rampant
speculation. I find this type of speculation irresponsible and distasteful, and
I feel it necessary to make clear that my willingness to consider trading
Cespedes has nothing to do with that type of noise, and everything to do with
the understanding that he is not a perfect fit for this team.
Michael Conforto played center field for the Mets last
year in the sense that he stood roughly between the left fielder and the right
fielder and tried very hard to catch everything that was hit to him. Conforto
is a left fielder by trade, however, and that's where he is the best fit
defensively. The Mets have a perfectly acceptable platoon option in center
field (Juan Lagares and Brandon
Nimmo), but could use a right fielder with a bat and an arm of
Cespedes's caliber. Unfortunately, they have Cespedes, who does not want to
play right field.
If Sandy Alderson was offered
a premium right fielder in exchange for Cespedes, that would have to be
something to be considered. If the Mets were offered a premium third baseman or
second baseman in exchange for Cespedes, that would be something that would
have to be considered as well. If the Mets were offered a premium starting
pitcher that would give them the best 1-2-3 starters in the National League,
this too would be reason to consider trading Cespedes.
The Mets should not trade Yoenis Cespedes for prospects, not
should they trade him to dump salary. The bullpen could stand fortifying, but I
don't think I would need all of the fingers on one hand to count the number of
relievers I would trade him for. Finally - and perhaps most importantly - the
Mets should not trade Yoenis Cespedes "to change the culture in the
clubhouse" or some similarly insipid rationale. There is only one factor
to consider when changing clubhouse culture, and that is bringing in the best
possible players to give a team the best chance at successful outcomes on the
field. The more games the Mets win in 2018, the less hand-wringing about
clubhouse culture will be observed.
Michael
Maar says -
The Mets have to be willing to turn the page on the
disastrous 2017 season in a lot of ways, and not exacerbate their problems by
rushing to dump talented players who had frustrating seasons.
Setting out to trade someone like Cespedes sounds like an
easy way to correct last year's problems, however the first concern is always
getting back equivalent talent - that's a topic unto itself. But even assuming an opposing GM offered an
acceptable deal, asking Cespedes to waive his no-trade does present risks. If he loves NY and decided to veto any trade,
would he be so hurt and offended that it would set the team up to start 2018
with a negative environment for their new manager to deal with?
Cespedes made a poor training choice in over-building his
legs last Winter, which really put him on a downward spiral physically. Add to that what the Mets clearly knew about
him when they signed him - that he's quirky and marches to his own
drummer. But it's also clear that he's
immensely talented, and that when he's happy and healthy he can he a huge force
in the middle of a lineup. I think
there's a very good chance that given the right leadership from Mickey Callaway - which is what they were looking for
in choosing him - that there's a good chance of finding the superstar in Yoenis
Cespedes again.
5 comments:
Great Job by all ... and many solid points made...
My response is not as definitive... What would they do next? I do not believe we will be in rebuild mode again so if we are intending to contend then Who is going to replace Cespedes...
I have always felt a winning team needs a guy who is a "game wrecker"... David wright was never a game wrecker... Delgado was, Piazza was ,Strawberry was... Someone the opponent never wanted to see at the plate and you hoped was at bat with 2 on... Someone who with one swing would destroy a game....
Cespedes is that... With all his warts he wrecks games... Who replaces him... If i trade cespedes and have a plan for a Harper, machado, stanton I am all in... but don't tell me Hosmer and lose Cespedes...
Some great players are Robin's... Wright to me had been, Edgardo , Olerud, thousands more ... But to be batman you have to be Cerano from the Movie Major league... A One swing killer...
So I would probably say No I would not trade Cespedes...
I would do a 1 for 1 trade with the marlin for Stanton and 40 mm for the years remaining on his contract if he does not opt out.
OMG. Been a long time since I visited the site. Great to see so many of the old guys still here and speaking out. Mack, hope you're feeling ok, you always have so much wisdom to impart. Best to your wife. And Tommy and Reese, great to see you. Now . .
Herb G says: I would trade Ces in a minute if I could get the returns we need. I am very wary of the health of his legs. True, when healthy he is a difference maker, but he spends a lot of time on the DL. And then, there is that attitude thing.
That said, I would approach the GM of every team that was in on Stanton but lost out. The no trade clause does present a possible barrier, but there is one team that I think Yoenis would have no trouble with - Oakland. He has already stated publicly that he would like to finish his career where he started it, in Oakland, so I think he would not balk at going back there a little earlier.
In return from the A's, I would want SS/OF Jorge Mateo, (their #4 prospect) LHP Jesus Lozardo, (#6) RHP Daulton Jeffries (#22) and RHP Parker Dunshee. (not ranked) Granted that is a pretty big package, so I would be willing to pick up a portion of Cespedes salary. If I could make that trade, or a comparable one with one of the other Stanton suitors, I would take a couple of the prospects I received and package them with one or two of our better prospects and approach Miami about Marcell Ozuna or Christian Yellich. Either could handle CF for us for years to come. Then sign Jay Bruce to play RF and we have one of the best outfields in MLB with Conforto back in LF where he does best. If I were unable to swing a trade with Miami for one of them or a comparable young impact player from another team, I would sign Carlos Gomez to play CF and have a trove of top prospects we acquired to boot. Conforto-Gomez-Bruce is not too shabby an outfield.
Hey, Herb! Some genius there.
TY, Tom
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