The 2015 MLB winter meetings have come and gone, but the hot stove is still burning.
With the two biggest names now off the market (Zack Greinke and David Price), the rest of the offseason now begins to take shape. There are still some issues to be addressed, such as where Yoenis Cespedes will play next year and if the Tampa Bay Rays will really give up some of their young aces.
Here’s some of the latest news from around the MLB rumor mill.
Mets May Not Bring Back Cespedes
The argument can be made that if not for the New York Mets trading for Cespedes at the trade deadline, they wouldn’t have made the World Series.
Now, it appears the Mets are not interested in retaining the power-hitting outfielder, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
Unless Yoenis Cespedes’ contract demands fall precipitously (extremely doubtful), the Mets have no intention of signing him or making any long-term commitments in this free-agent class. Yes, they save most or all of the $12.5 million they would have paid Cuddyer. But that is just a one-year savings.
The Mets’ needs heading into this offseason were at shortstop and center field, and they did not see a long-term solution in either place in free agency. That includes Cespedes. They did not want to subtract from their elite rotation pieces to address the positions.
And then there is this: Cespedes was the most meaningful short-term addition the Mets made in July. But, for their long-term philosophy, the acquisitions of Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe proved more vital.
The reigning National League champions built their postseason run around their young pitching staff and terrific play in the infield. With growing suspicion that the Mets will not even retain second baseman Daniel Murphy, the money is there to spend on a much-needed bat in the outfield.
Jon Heyman from CBS Sports noted that the Detroit Tigers, the team that traded Cespedes to the Mets this year, could be in play for him again.
Cespedes will turn 31 years old next year, so a contract like the one that the Chicago Cubs presented Jason Heyward with on Friday seems out of the question. But the Mets need offense any way they can get it, and if that means overpaying for a guy like Cespedes, so be it.
Red Sox No Longer Interested in Trading Bradley Jr.
The Boston Red Sox already made a splash in signing David Price, but it appears they won’t be looking to make another in trading outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting that numerous teams have reached out to the Red Sox to inquire about Bradley, but Boston is not looking to move him at this time.
Among those teams are the reigning world champion Kansas City Royals, who are looking for a possible replacement for Alex Gordon should he not re-sign with the Royals:
The Royals have had their eye on Bradley as a possible replacement for Alex Gordon. The Red Sox and Royals also engaged in trade talks for Wade Miley before Miley was traded to the Mariners along with Jonathan Aro for reliever Carson Smith and lefty Roenis Elias. The Red Sox, according to one major league source, asked the Royals for hard-throwing reliever Kelvin Herrera, but Kansas City preferred to give up Luke Hochevar. The Red Sox opted for the Mariners deal.
The Cubs, in need of a center fielder, had Bradley high atop their list but opted for big-ticket item Jason Heyward, who is likely to shift from right field.
Any team interested in Bradley is getting him mainly for his glove, not his bat. He batted a career-best .249 last year, but his .994 fielding percentage is among the best in the major leagues. The Seattle Mariners were once interested in Bradley, but those talks died down.
The 25-year-old outfielder still has plenty of upside, especially at the plate. The Red Sox deciding not to trade him shows not only the confidence they have in him, but that they’re committed to preparing for the future and see Bradley as an important part of that vision.
Rays Could Shake Up Pitching Rotation
The Tampa Bay Rays have plenty of young pitchers that teams crave, and if there’s a deal to be had by any team looking to upgrade elsewhere, it’s with the Rays.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports noted that the Rays are the team that’s most open to making such a deal because of their pitching depth:
The Rays, even after trading righty Nathan Karns, offer three starters with the potential to be No. 2s—righty Jake Odorizzi and lefties Drew Smyly and Matt Moore. They also can move Alex Cobb, who likely will miss much of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last May, but is under club control at affordable salaries for the next two years.
Rays relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger also are available, and trade is talk is intensifying around McGee, Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi reported on Friday. It might take longer to trade a starter—the Rays, like the Rockies with their hitters, might need to wait for the free-agent market to settle, and pitchers such as Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake to come off the board.
The Rays finished 80-82 in 2015 with a relatively young team. They appear to be on the cusp of returning to playoff form, but they could use some more pieces. Moore has been an intriguing guy with No. 1 ability and could go to a team in desperate need of an ace.
The only pitcher that won’t be touched is Chris Archer, for obvious reasons. But if Tampa Bay is waiting until Cueto and Leake come off the board, then there may not be a deal involving the Rays until early January or maybe February.
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