Mets Rumors: Cespedes could make everyone wait until January, again

Cespedes may make the Mets wait and draw out his contract negotiations into 2017.

If you’re thinking the Yoenis Cespedes saga is close to being over, buckle in because word on the street is we may have to wait a couple of more months to have a decision.

Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci was cited by SNY’s Robert Brender as saying Yoenis could wait until January of 2017 to finalize any potential deal. Cespedes is expected to sign a monster contract this winter, and is considered by many the top bat in this year’s free agent class.

The Mets have Yoenis’ bat at the top of their winter to-do list, and have been hopeful a deal could get done. After hearing from Cespedes and his team back at the beginning of November, the team’s brass sounded confident a deal could be reached. Sandy was quoted as saying, “I think he wants to be back.”

The question will definitely be whether the GM and co. decide to wait on Cespedes again before making any other big time moves this offseason. Cespedes signed on with the Mets in late January of last year, so it wouldn’t be totally out of the blue for the Cuban All-Star to wait until the new year this time as well.

Unfortunately, this year it might not make as much sense for the Mets to wait around for him. If Yo decides to go elsewhere, there’s a good chance the Amazin’s could be left out in the dark with no big signings if other potential outfielders like Jose Bautista or Dexter Fowler are off the table by then. That’s a worst scenario obviously, and one that the front office will have to evaluate.

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I have faith that Sandy and his team will get a deal done with Cespedes, however. Most of us didn’t expect him to be back last season, and that deal ended up happening, so you never know. Maybe Christmas comes early this year, or maybe we have to wait until next year, but as always, ya gotta believe!