One of the biggest coups of the 2014 Major League Baseball season was the Boston Red Sox landing outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Oakland A’s in exchange for a few months of Jon Lester. Cespedes finished the season with 22 home runs and 100 RBIs, while Lester was decent for the A’s and will now hit free agency. Meanwhile, Cespedes has a year left on his contract.
That was a great trade for the Red Sox, but now rumors are circulating that Boston and general manager Ben Cherington may make Cespedes available for trade this offseason. The 29-year-old recently signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation agency and will certainly be looking for a big contract extension.
We have been told that the Red Sox would prefer to lock Cespedes up to a long-term deal, but won’t overpay to do so. That could mean that Boston’s best option would be to sell high on the Cuban defector who just set a career-high with a WAR of 4.1.
Cespedes doesn’t want to play right field, which is where the Red Sox would like to put him, and he hasn’t really improved defensively since he arrived from Cuba. Those are both problems despite his gigantic arm and incredible natural talent. By trading him, the Red Sox would also make room for Mookie Betts in the outfield, and could add another left-handed hitter, something they badly need.
Right now this is all just speculation, and Cespedes is due $10.2 million in 2015, which is the final year of his current contract. But if the Red Sox do make him available he’ll be one of the top players on the trade market this winter. And the Boston could reap the rewards of a big haul in return for him.