Just past noon Saturday, the Mets received an email they long have been expecting, with star slugger Yoenis Cespedes providing the written notification needed to officially opt out of his contract.
He now is a free agent, an outcome that had become a virtual certainty this season, as he bashed his way closer to the long-term payday that eluded him a year ago.
All that remains is one procedural hurdle before the bidding for his services can truly begin. The Mets have until Monday to make Cespedes a one-year qualifying offer of $17.2 million. He will decline the offer, meaning that if he signs elsewhere, the Mets will receive a draft pick as compensation.
The Mets could retain Cespedes, who industry executives expect will secure a four-year deal worth around $25 million annually, with the willingness to include a fifth year potentially becoming the deciding factor. But the Mets should have plenty of company to drive up the bidding, with rival executives pointing at the Giants as a prime spot.
The Nationals bid on Cespedes last winter and could use a right-handed bat, though it might require some rearranging in the outfield to bring him aboard. The same goes for the deep-pocketed Dodgers. All have extra incentive, since they are tasked with knocking off the Cubs, who possess a talented young core.
In the American League, the Astros and Blue Jays could be among those in the mix, according to executives, with the Rangers and Angels factoring in to a lesser extent.
