Despite an admission that the New York Yankees have spoken to the agent of Yoenis Cespedes, the free agent outfielder is reportedly not in their plans.
According to Christian Red of the New York Daily News, acquiring Cespedes is, at least for the moment, not a priority for the Yankees, though general manager Brian Cashman did speak to Brodie Van Wagenen, the slugger’s agent.
The Yankees’ targets are said to be bringing Aroldis Chapman back to the team as a free agent, picking up a starting pitcher, and adding a designated hitter, possibly someone like Carlos Beltran or Mike Napoli.
That doesn’t leave a lot of room for someone like Cespedes, particularly given the fact that he reportedly wants a contract in the neighborhood of $130 million over five years.
Things could always change, as they did last winter in his negotiations with the Mets when it became clear he wasn’t going to get the contract he originally sought. For the moment, however, the Yankees’ priorities are clearly elsewhere, and they’re likely just doing their due diligence by checking in on Cespedes’s market and demands.
