Written by Kristie Ackert at Daily News.com
The Mets are just waiting for the inevitable next step, when slugger Yoenis Cespedes will exercise the opt-out in his contract,making him a free agent five days after the completion of the World Series. That doesn’t mean the Mets are not sizing up the competition when it comes to getting the Cuban outfielder back eventually.
Cespedes transformed the Mets from a team rebuilding around young pitching to a contender that made an unlikely run to the World Series in 2015 and led the Mets back to the postseason in 2016, only the second time in franchise history they have made back-to-back playoff appearances.
He was the engine that drove the Mets’ lineup in 2016, hitting .280 with 86 RBI and 31 home runs, despite playing most of the season with a right quad strain. They know they need him back and have kept open the channels of communication to try and entice him.
With Cespedes likely to land a contract worth around $100 million this winter, here is a look at the five teams that have been rumored to be the Mets’ main competition in the Cespedes sweepstakes.
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THE BIG THREATS
GIANTS
Long before they ended the Mets’ season in the National League wild-card game, industry sources were talking about the Giants as the natural landing spot for Cespedes. They were ranked 28th in the majors in home runs with just 130 and 25th in slugging percentage last year, something that signing Cespedes would quickly resolve. With Angel Pagan a free agent and not likely to be re-signed, they have a vacancy in left field, where Cespedes prefers to play. The Giants have shown a willingness to spend on free agents — just look at last winter, when they spent $130 million for six years of Johnny Cueto — and could be the team that goes the distance for Cespedes.
The Giants are perhaps the leading contender.
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