Yoenis Cespedes—the outfielder who’s half-man, half-cannon—found himself traded from the Oakland A’s to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline for ace Jon Lester. While trade didn’t exactly help the A’s get into the playoffs, the Cespedes deal was supposed to be a signal that the BoSox were planning to improve their lineup to make a run for next year’s pennant.
Well, it now seems like the Sox have maybe lost that lovin’ feeling when it comes to the 29 year-old outfielder. The Boston Globe has reported that rumor was spreading that the Red Sox could make Cespedes available on the winter market.
Some of the motivation for this move could be Cespedes’ change in representation. He recently left Wasserman Media Group to sign a deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports.
As you may remember, Jay Z’s first client was former Yankees’ second baseman Robinson Cano. After signing with the firm, Cano demanded a lofty $260 million from the Yanks. When they demurred, he found himself in Seattle with a 10-year contract worth $240 million.
Zachary Rymer has a great breakdown over at The Bleacher Report on the pros and cons of keeping Cespedes on the BoSox. The outfielder posted one of his best seasons this year with 22 homers—he also has a lot of power. Cespedes would be a great addition to a Boston outfield that’s loaded with a bunch of young and unestablished players.
However, Cespedes’ move to Roc Nation may signal that the outfielder will be jacking up his asking price—which may be more than the Red Sox are willing to pay. He is expected to earn $10.5 million next year before becoming a free agent.
His power numbers also seemed to go down after coming to Boston, which many mean Cespedes and the Green Monster may not be a good match for a lengthy contract relationship. His defense was also shaky—it was reported that the coaches “all hate” Cespedes in the lineup. Though the team has denied those comments, there certainly does seem to be a frustration from the brass about his performance. Remember, they gave up Lester, Jonny Gomes and other prospects to land this guy.
Cespedes could very well end up being traded this off-season. The BoSox would likely get quality players in return for the Cuban outfielder.
--Alexis Garcia, BYB's "Eye on MLB" Columnist
Twitter: @heylexyg
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