Report: Phillies ‘are not interested’ in Yoenis Cespedes
By Tim Kelly
To the surprise of no one, in any perspective trade with the Red Sox this Winter, the Phillies wouldn’t be interested in Yoenis Cespedes.
Via Bill Madden of The New York Daily News
"They are particularly in the market for frontline starting pitching of which the Mets have a surplus. Before exploring the free-agent market, the Red Sox, who are loaded with highly rated prospects, are exploring what it will take to get Cole Hamels from the Phillies (who are not interested in Cespedes)."
As I wrote earlier this offseason (the Phillies offseason, that is), the idea of a blockbuster deal involving Cole Hamels going to the Red Sox this offseason for a package of outfielder(s) and pitcher(s) is a very real possibility. Cespedes just doesn’t make sense as the type of piece to come back to Philly.
It isn’t that the Phillies couldn’t use the 22 homerun and 100 RBI season that Cespedes put up last year–he instantly would be their best offensive player–it’s more than that. Cespedes is 30, and is going to get at least four years and $60 million next offseason (likely more in both departments). If the Phillies are going to trade the current face of their franchise, and someone you would expect to go a long way in helping to replenish your team for the future, what sense does it make to take back someone who is already on the wrong side of 30 and is expected to become really expensive in less than a year? His original four-year/$36 million deal he signed with the A’s when he defected from Cuba is also backloaded, so he’ll get $10.5 million next year. He’s a good player, with one of the best arms that I’ve ever seen, but he isn’t the type of player that makes sense for the Phillies.
Even the Red Sox probably know that Cespedes, if they choose to trade him, would likely have to be a separate, unrelated move from a potential Hamels acquisition.
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner told WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan this in mid-September.
"“The one thing that I think that trade that we made with the Dodgers [in 2013] gave us was extreme flexibility. We know we have to add some front-line talent. We spent some time over the last few weeks talking about exactly what we can do to improve. I think that our trades at the end of July attacked the fact that we had a lack of offense. I think [Yoenis] Cespedes is a key player for us going forward. I think our signing of [Rusney] Castillo is good. But we know we need some front-line pitching talent."
Cespdes was considered someone who could be moved then, and according to Madden, him switching to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation as his representation, has made that even more likely. So Werner making that statement then, doesn’t mean that his entire sentiment, mainly the part about “needing front-line pitching talent”, isn’t relevant.
What is relevant, is this item that Madden mentioned.
"After trading Jon Lester for Cespedes last summer, they stated a policy of not giving more than five years to 30-something pitchers, meaning trading for frontline starters might be a more viable option for them."
So this off-season, that team policy (which really isn’t that strict) could prevent them from signing Max Scherzer, Jon Lester or Jeff Samardzija. Or it might not, because there isn’t a guarantee that any of those guys get six or more years on the free-agent market. But if five years is the top of what the Red Sox are willing to go to, wouldn’t they prefer someone who only has four years left on their deal like Hamels? Technically, Hamels has a 2019 vesting option that could leave five years left on his deal, but the Red Sox could make sure he doesn’t reach that option, and if he does, they probably would want him back anyway. If not, he has a six million dollar buyout for 2019. That type of deal seems more team friendly than signing any of the other three to a five-year guaranteed deal, especially considering Hamels is coming off the best season of any of them.
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As for what the Phillies would look for in a trade, it largely depends on whether they land Yasmany Tomas and if they are willing to eat any of Hamels’ remaining $96 million on his deal. Names that would be brought up in a deal would be LHP Henry Owens, Catcher Blake Swihart, RHP Anthony Ranaudo and 3B/OF Garin Cecchini, among others. Current major-league names like Will Middlebrooks, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts might also be in play. Again, it’s way too early to accurately project that.
What we do know now, is that Yoenis Cespedes isn’t going to be one of the names included in any potential deal. But, I’d go as far as saying that it’s more likely that Hamels is a Red Sox next year, than Cespedes.