Last night Peter Gammons tweeted that he is hearing the Houston Astros are a potential landing spot for Yoenis Cespedes.
Thrice today I had execs say "watch the Astros on Cespedes." 5th best HR park in MLB in '15. Good lineup. OK, I'm watching
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) January 17, 2016
The free agent market for position players has been slow to develop this offseason. One of the biggest question marks has been where Cespedes would land. The Orioles appeared to be making a push for the outfielder, but that pursuit likely ended when they signed Chris Davis to a seven-year deal. The Mets, White Sox and Braves have all expressed interest, but as Jeff Todd notes they are hesitant to give Cespedes the number of years that he is looking for.
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At first glance, the Astros are an unexpected landing spot for the left fielder. Colby Rasmus, Carlos Gomez and George Springer should provide above average production from the outfield. Evan Gattis looks to be entrenched as the DH for the foreseeable future. Beyond the starters, Jake Marisnick showed he could provide above average defense as a fourth outfielder.
While any team would welcome a player of Cespedes’ abilities it’s worth asking if acquiring a high-priced outfielder is the best use of their resources. With the loss of Scott Kazmir to free agency and Vincent Velasquez via trade the Astros appear to have a significant need in the starting rotation. It’s possible that acquiring Cespedes could allow Houston to use their surplus outfield talent to acquire a starter.
2015 was Cespedes’ best offensive season since his rookie year in 2012. In 159 games he hit .291/.328/.542 to go along with 35 HR and 105 RBI. He’ll be most remembered for his stint as a member of the Mets. He ran a 157 OPS+ while he was in New York and helped propel the Mets to their first World Series appearance since 2000. Not only did he produce offensively, but his defensive value was on full display as well. He played above average defense in left field and proved that in short stints he could be a serviceable center fielder.
Next: Cespedes best served signing one-year deal with Mets
Where do you think Cespedes will end up? Is this a smart move for Houston? Let us know in the comments section below.