The NY Mets have signed Asdrubal Cabrera and traded for Neil Walker this offseason and as things stand right now, it's unlikely that Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy will be returning to Queens. The Mets still could dip into the free agent market this winter, as names like Gerardo Parra, Denard Span, Dexter Fowler and Bartolo Colon are considered potential targets.
The Mets may have a little extra money to spend after Michael Cuddyer announced his retirement over the weekend, but it likely will not be on Cespedes or Murphy. The trade for Walker with the Pirates ended any speculation that Murphy could return, while Cespedes may be too expensive for what the Mets want to do this offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports, Cespedes is looking for a six year contract worth over $100 million, while the Mets are interested in keeping Cespedes on a two to three year contract.
According to Joel Sherman at the New York Post, Cuddyer's salary will likely allow the team to spend a little extra than they were expecting, but Sherman cautioned that the Mets are likely not going to make a big splash. Sherman writes that Denard Span could be a good fit after the team did not end up signing Ben Zobrist, but reports have Span looking for a multi-year deal and the Mets may not want more than one or two years. Dexter Fowler and Gerardo Parra are also available on the market and will come cheaper than Cespedes or Alex Gordon.
The Mets have reportedly had contact with Parra this offseason, but that was back in November, according to Marc Carig at Newsday. With Jason Heyward signing his contract with the Chicago Cubs, the outfielder marker could start developing and that could pick things back up with the Mets and Parra. The Mets have made additions to the infield this offseason by signing Asdrubal Cabrera as a free agent and trading for Walker and now the focus could turn to the outfield.
Cabrera signed a two-year deal worth around $18 million, while Walker will be a free agent after next season. The Mets traded Jonathon Niese to the Pirates to get Walker and the move doesn't really weaken the pitching overall on the roster for the team. The Mets were unlikely to bring back Murphy after his potential salary got a boost from his performance in the playoffs and the Walker move ended any chance of him coming back. The New York Times reports that the with Cuddyer retiring, "saving money does not mean" the team "will splurge on Yoenis Cespedes." Colon returning could be an option, while one of the free agent outfielders could be the next move for the Mets.
