New York Mets Rumors: Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy Leave In Free Agency? Ian Desmond, Ben Zobrist, Darren O'Day Targets?

Nov 27, 2015 11:54 AM EST
Ben Zobrist #18 of the Kansas City Royals
Ben Zobrist #18 of the Kansas City Royals hits a home run in the first inning during Game 6 of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2015 in Kansas City Missouri. "

The New York Mets lost the World Series to the Kansas City Royals and now the team heads into the offseason with some hope and some questions about 2016. Yoenis Cespedes, Daniel Murphy and Bartolo Colon are all free agents and Sandy Alderson could look at players like Ian Desmond, Ben Zobrist or Darren O'Day as targets to bring in for next season.

The Mets have a strong core of players to build around heading into the offseason, as the rotation is one of the deepest in baseball and Michael Conforto looks like he can be an everyday player. The team took care of one offseason priority already, as the Mets announced that they have agreed with manager Terry Collins on a two-year deal. Collins was in the final year of his deal and the Mets announced on Wednesday that Collins has officially signed after leading the Mets to a 90-72 record and a division title this season.

The Mets have some important things to deal with coming up, as the team has to decide whether to extend a qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy. Adam Rubin at ESPN reports that the team extended the qualifying offer, which was worth $15.8 million and Murphy rejected it. If Murphy signs elsewhere, it would give the Mets a draft pick. The Mets also have Yoenis Cespedes hitting the market after the team traded for him at the deadline, but he cannot be extended a qualifying offer and reports have him likely leaving the team in free agency.

Rubin writes that ESPN that the team is "expected to modestly pursue" Cespedes, but that a league official said he is "highly likely" to leave New York. Cespedes had a strong season split between the Tigers and the Mets, but he is looking to sign a big contract and that could leave NY out of the running. According to ESPN Deportes' Marly Rivera, Cespedes said he is looking to sign a deal at around six years and that he would consider returning to the Mets. Cespedes added that it's "too early" to speculate on the future.

The Mets main targets in free agency could be at the shortstop position and in the bullpen. The team is not going to spend wildly this offseason, but the payroll could jump up past $100 million depending on the moves they make. Players like Ian Desmond, Ben Zobrist and Darren O'Day have been mentioned as targets, while the team also could consider making trades to add a shortstop or some bullpen help. The Mets had a strong season and they have a stacked core of pitchers with Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz coming back and that makes them potential contenders again in 2016.

Sandy Alderson spoke to the media about Collins and he also talked about personnel moves and the free agents for the team, including Bartolo Colon. Alderson said that he is "open-minded" about bringing Colon back if the pitcher is in a "relief piece/safety net" role and he also said that the team has given permission to the Dodgers to talk to Bob Geren about their managerial opening.

Check here for more on the Mets and the offseason.

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