The New York Mets still have not reached out to outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, despite the fact that he is poised to opt out of his contract within the week.
According to ESPN’s Adam Rubin, Cespedes will opt out and become a free agent no later than Saturday, and the Mets have yet to speak to him about a new deal.
The Mets are said to be hesitant about giving Cespedes a long-term deal, and they would prefer to avoid giving him another opt-out, though it has not been ruled out entirely.
Mets brass are pessimistic at the prospect of retaining Cespedes and have begun to map out alternatives. The team would likely make a less impactful move to replace Cespedes and allow in-house options such as Lucas Duda, Michael Conforto, and Brandon Nimmo the chance to replace Cespedes in the outfield.
We knew Cespedes was going to opt out, but the Mets seem relaxed over it. They didn’t want to give him the big payday he got last winter, and they did only because he lingered on the market longer than many anticipated. There will likely be more interest this offseason, and the Mets won’t be at the front of the fight.
