With the holiday season coming and going, the MLB free agency market is still loaded with big names looking for a new home. Daniel Murphy was the latest player taken off the market, but the outfield position still has plenty of talent available for the taking. The New York Mets remain a team still in need of outfield help as they have passed on Murphy and can still spend on a big contract. However, the Mets are officially taking themselves out of the running for Yoenis Cespedes.
According to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman, the Mets were trying to win over Cespedes with a short-term contract. They were suggesting a two-or-three-year deal for the outfielder in hopes that would allow him to return to the team. However, that idea has been shot down. According to Heyman, the Mets are simply unwilling to meet the contract demands of Cespedes and can only sign him if he lowers his demands. That seems to be the general belief on the market right now. Plenty of teams are interested in the big bat, but no one will pay his contract requests.
The same can be said for Denard Span who is another Mets outfield target. The veteran recently held a workout so that teams could see he is healthy following offseason surgery. The Mets were reportedly one of the teams, but according to NJ.com, Span is also looking for a big contract. The Mets were favoring the veteran in hopes that they could get him for cheap, but that might not be the case anymore.
That leaves New York to push for players like Justin Upton, Alex Gordon or Dexter Fowler who remain available. If the Mets are unwilling to spend any money, they have no chance of getting any of those three options. The team has signed Alejandro De Aza to a contract for depth, but will he be enough to carry the team who has been considered losers in this offseason?
At this moment, the Mets will likely place Juan Lagares in centerfield along with Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson in the corners. That might be fine, but the retirement of Michael Cuddyer was a hit to the outfield. Signing a big name on the market would be an upgrade in the outfield if the Mets were willing to make the move. For now, they appear content with the current depth they have on the roster despite having the money to make another move.
