So, with all that potential baggage, including the looming free agency, why should the Mets even want him, you ask? Especially with that .301 on-base percentage making him not exactly Alderson's kind of guy? Because power bats such as Cespedes' are at a premium now and aren't readily available — and, for all their pitching, the Mets cannot expect to contend next year without getting protection for David Wright in the middle of the order. Because of the signability factor, with Roc Nation almost certain to take Cespedes into free agency, the Red Sox cannot expect to get a sizeable haul in return for him. They are particularly in the market for frontline starting pitching of which the Mets have a surplus. Before exploring the free-agent market, the Red Sox, who are loaded with highly rated prospects, are exploring what it will take to get Cole Hamels from the Phillies (who are not interested in Cespedes). The Red Sox have about $60 million to spend this winter — look for them to be in on Pablo Sandoval as well — but after trading Jon Lester for Cespedes last summer, they stated a policy of not giving more than five years to 30-something pitchers, meaning trading for frontline starters might be a more viable option for them.