New York Yankees Rumors: Yoenis Cespedes Signing A Possibility Or A Tease By Yankees Owner?
New York Yankees rumors now link the team to outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. Suddenly Yankees rumors indicate the team may want to improve its offense, possibly by signing the biggest name remaining in free agency. A report from CBS Sports hasn’t quelled that chatter either, with a quote from Yankees principal owner Hal Steinbrenner adding his own flair to the situation. When addressing whether or not the Yankees are trying to sign Cespedes, Steinbrenner made some very intriguing comments.
“We’re always looking to improve the club. I’m comfortable with where the payroll is now, but we’re always looking to improve. You never know with us. We can surprise people.”
While the Washington Nationals, New York Mets, and Chicago White Sox are considered to be the leaders in bidding for Cespedes, there is always room for a fourth team to enter the negotiations. If these New York Yankees rumors have any truth to them, then the front office is going to have to make some roster adjustments very soon. The Yankees’ depth chart is full at the moment, meaning roster moves would be needed to even get Cespedes on the 40-man roster.
Currently the Yankees have Brett Gardner in left field, Jacoby Ellsbury in center field, and Carlos Beltran in right field. It might be time for Beltran to shift to a designated hitter slot, but the Yankees still have Alex Rodriguez on the roster as well. First base isn’t open either, as the Yankees have Mark Teixeira, who is blocking the road for Greg Bird to take over as the full-time guy. One or two of those current players would have to be removed from the 25-man roster to make a Yoenis Cespedes signing work. While it isn’t an impossible scenario, it makes a signing seem far less likely for the Yankees.
At the same time, the signing of a player like Cespedes is something that would have been expected from the Yankees when George Steinbrenner was in charge. He could be a big draw for fans and provide some extensive power hitting from the middle of the lineup. That could be a big ticket-seller for the 2016 MLB season and beyond. What a signing of Yoenis Cespedes does not solve, though, are all the questions surrounding the Yankees’ starting rotation and how it will look on Opening Day.
The Detroit Tigers traded Yoenis Cespedes to the New York Mets on July 31, 2015. Cespedes ended up posting impressive stats with the Mets during the closing months, including a 0.287 batting average, 0.942 OPS, 17 home runs, and 44 RBIs in just the final 60 days of the regular season. Cespedes also hit two home runs in the NLDS and helped the Mets make it all the way to the World Series. His success with the Mets added a lot of money to his next contract, guaranteeing Cespedes would get a raise from the four-year, $40 million deal he had signed with the Oakland Athletics originally.
Regarding additional New York Yankees rumors, there has also been talk that Brett Gardner could be sent to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for pitcher Andrew Heaney. That has not been verified by the front offices of either city, suggesting it may only be a “wish list” rumor for fans looking to improve the starting rotation in New York. A trade like that would certainly clear the way for a signing of Yoenis Cespedes, though, making it a very intriguing story as the MLB offseason continues to progress. Are the New York Yankees really done making moves? Or is something brewing?
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