New York Mets want to trade Yoenis Cespedes, Jed Lowrie (Report)

The New York Mets are having a difficult time finding suitors for potential trades involving Yoenis Cespedes and Jed Lowrie.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the New York Mets are still looking to trade Yoenis Cespedes and Jed Lowrie. He also notes that it’s been incredibly difficult for the Mets to drum up interest in the two players.

The last time Cespedes played in more than 81 games during a season came in 2016. He’s coming off serious foot surgery on both feet. His salary may have been cut down, but he’s still owed $9 million this season even before any incentives.

It’s hard to see any team taking that contract without some proof that Cespedes is 100% healthy. Even then, it’s hard to see a deal coming together considering how large Cespedes’s contract could become if he plays well.

It would likely take the Mets attaching a significant piece to convince a team to take a chance on the Cuban slugger. That kind of move doesn’t make sense for the Mets considering the upside that Cespedes offers. Not to mention, it would be short-sighted to trade a significant piece to dump him when his contract is up after the season.

Lowrie is in a similar situation. He was an elite player in 2017 and 2018, but he missed nearly all of 2019 due to injury. His contract is worth $10 million for the 2020 season.

Trading Lowrie makes sense considering J.D. Davis and Jeff McNeil have rendered him a bench piece. That said, he’s also under contract for just one more year. Attaching a significant long-term piece to get Lowrie off the books for one year makes little sense.

It’s not surprising the Mets are looking to shed salary. They’re just trying to stay afloat financially before the sale to Steve Cohen becomes official.

However, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen is fighting for his job. He’s on a mission to prove to Steve Cohen he’s the right man to lead this team into the future. Trading off future assets for short-term salary relief wouldn’t be the best way to do that.