Mets remain in contact with Yoenis Cespedes

Despite repeated claims to the contrary, it appears the Mets have not yet written off free agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. According to Jon Heyman, the Mets have stayed in contact with Cespedes "just in case." Heyman suggests that the Mets are still seeking a bargain from the Cuban slugger, as opposed to the lucrative multi-year deal he's seeking.

Last week, general manager Sandy Alderson attributed payroll discontent from fans to "the populism involving [Yoenis] Cespedes." Acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline last season, Cespedes was a force of nature in the Mets' lineup through the season's final two months. He had a .942 OPS and hit 17 home runs in 230 at-bats as a Met. Along with fellow acquisitions Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, Cespedes brought legitimacy to the Mets' lineup.

Even with Heyman's update, the odds of the Mets re-signing Cespedes seem low. As Ken Rosenthal speculated, teams dishing out long-term contracts in late January or early February isn't unheard of. But a the Mets aren't the only team potentially interested in Cespedes