MLB Trade Deadline 2017: 5 best spots for Yoenis Cespedes

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been injured most of the year. However, he can help a contender this fall. Here are five new teams for him.

2017 has been a frustrating year for a few MLB teams, including the New York Mets. New York is 42-50 through 92 games, 11 games back of the second NL Wild Card spot and 14 games back of the Washington Nationals in the NL East. Injuries all across the board have sank the former 2015 NL pennant winners in just two years.

One guy that the Mets were counting on in a big way in their outfield trio was left fielder Yoenis Cespedes. While he is a guy capable of hitting .270 with 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in annually, Cespedes has been limited to only 47 games in 2017.

He is under contract with New York 2020, but Cespedes would be a great get for some contending team at the deadline. It’s not like this would be the first time he has been traded before. From 2014 to 2015, Cespedes saw himself in four different MLB uniforms, including the Mets who he helped reach the 2015 World Series.

Trading Cespedes doesn’t feel overly likely given that he still has three seasons under contract. He a four-year, $110 million deal this past offseason. However if the Mets do feel compelled to make a move at the deadline, here are five teams that could make sense for Cespedes as a landing spot.

5

Atlanta Braves

NL, East

In theory, trading Cespedes to a division rival like the Atlanta Braves doesn’t seem possible. However, Atlanta has admired Cespedes from a far. The Braves as an organization can’t seem to help themselves when it comes to power-hitting, right-handed outfielders. From Andruw Jones to Gary Sheffield to Justin Upton to Matt Kemp, Cespedes could fit that mould perfectly in Atlanta.

The reason Atlanta would look to make a deal for Cespedes despite only being a few games better than New York in the NL East standings is that right fielder Nick Markakis is not an overly productive hitter any more. Atlanta has two strong outfielders in Kemp in left and Ender Inciarte in center.

Getting Cespedes’ bat to play in the hitter-friendly stadium that is SunTrust Park could help him ensure better power numbers than he has had in spacious Citi Field with the Mets. Atlanta does have plenty of farm system talent to put together a sound offer for a guy like Cespedes. The outfield configuration with him in it would need some adjusting, but Cespedes is a player that could wind up playing for the Braves at some point.

That being said, Atlanta is still trying to figure out a few things with its offense. Matt Adams has been tremendous at the plate, but has forced Freddie Freeman to platoon at first and third base. Johan Camargo has been great since being called up, but Atlanta can’t find a place to play him in the field regularly. Plus, Atlanta is not yielding the dividends it has hoped for from its pitching staff this season.