It's almost Christmas and Yoenis Cespedes still is on the hunt for a mega contract.

The longer this goes on, maybe the right-handed-hitting slugger circles back to the Mets and re-signs with them for something both sides can live with.

Noah Syndergaard, one of the Mets aces, wants Cespedes back next season.

"Of course we're hoping," Syndergaard told the New York Post last Friday. "We all saw the tear he went on from July through the end of the season. We'd love to have that bat back in the lineup, so as long as he's out there, we're hoping for that."

The rumor mill has Cespedes ending up with the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles or Detroit Tigers.

As for the Mets, management reportedly believes it won't be able to afford keeping Cespedes, who had a great half-season for the club.

Cespedes was traded from Detroit to the Mets last July 31, then went on to hit .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs in 54 games to help New York win the NL East and go on to win a pennant before losing the World Series to Kansas City.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.