The New York Mets saved a lot of money when they successfully restructured outfielder Yoenis Cespedes' contract in order to avoid a grievance that they filed with respect to Cespedes reportedly injuring himself on his ranch last May.
However, there is a possibility that the Mets could wipe him from the payroll entirely. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported that New York has received calls on Cespedes' trade availability.
One interesting effect of Yoenis Céspedes' contract restructuring: the Mets have had teams reach out the past week regarding his availability in trades, according to a source. Nothing close or imminent or even all that likely, but some initial conversations have taken place.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) December 19, 2019
Cespedes did not play during the 2019 season due to the injury setback in May.
The Mets had previously been looking to move salaries by trading Jed Lowrie or Jeurys Familia, but Cespedes may be an easier sell because of the reduction paired with the fact that he is in a walk year.
New York already has an abundance of corner outfielders, with J.D. Davis bursting onto the scene as a major run producer as well as both Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith having the ability to play in either corner.
Cespedes has played in just 129 games over the course of the last three seasons. His slugging has been present whenever healthy, but he simply has not been able to stay on the field.
Still, there are a number of teams looking for hard-hitting outfielders, and Cespedes could provide a low risk, high reward opportunity given that he is in the final year of his deal.
As DiComo reported, no deal is “imminent.” That said, New York's outfield could grow even more crowded should they continue to pursue a more reliable center fielder. That factor alone, paired with trade interest, could lead to more exploratory talks with regard to Cespedes.
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