Yoenis Cespedes is still waiting for a club to back up the money truck. Reports suggest that he’s looking for $150 million over six years. Uh, no. Even if I owned a team and had the money there is no way I would spend that much on him. He’s bonkers if he thinks that someone is going to pay him that (he’s seemingly forgetting that guys like Alex Gordon and Justin Upton, discussed below, aren’t looking for that much, at least according to reports – you never know what might happen). The 30-year-old outfielder, remember Cespedes is no spring chicken, has been in the big leagues four seasons. Here’s what you need to know:

(1) Cespedes has one season with more than 26 homers. (2) He has produced 100 RBIs each of the past two seasons but twice in four seasons he’s failed to record 85. (3) He’s scored 90 runs just once in four seasons. (4) After stealing 16 bases in his first season he’s swiped exactly seven bags each of the last three years. (5) He’s hit .290 twice in his career. He’s also failed to hit .261 in the other two seasons leaving him with a .271 career mark. (6) He posted a three-year high last season in OBP at .328 and his career mark is .319. That’s league-average stuff. (7) Only once in three seasons has his SLG even been .455. Cespedes is a run producer who can hit prodigious homers. He’s also a limited offensive ballplayer, in the real world and fantasy, something the Mets apparently decided for themselves as Jon Heyman reported that his former team only offered him a 2-3 year deal. Shocking the Mets would be that cheap though.

Josh Hamilton hit 18 homers the last two seasons. He hit 19 homers as a rookie back in 2007 in just 90 games. In fact, every one of the six seasons he’s appeared in 90 games in a season he’s hit at least 19 homers. He’s appeared in 89 and 50 games the past two seasons. He will be 35 in May.

I spent the weekend with my folks and family. They only live like 10 miles away so it was relatively easy to see them, but it was a good time with lots of family around, laughs and general merriment. My brother has two kids, the oldest is seven, and boy is it a joy to see their joy on Christmas morning. It would be fantastic if we could all keep that joy in our hearts as we grow. For those with coal in their stockings or heart, this is for you. Speaking of that… why are people such trolls? I get tweets from folks every day bashing me, calling me out, saying I’m a useless follow on Twitter. Ninety percent of my followers are amazing folks and I cherish you. For the other 10 percent of you, go pound sand. If you don’t like me, don’t follow. Stop wasting my time telling me you aren’t gonna follow just looking to get a rise out of me. Seems pretty simple. Your life is dull, or worse, you’re a miserable person. Be a Grinch if you want, but know that I’ll never change, for better or worse.  

Daniel Murphy ended up agreeing to a three-year deal with the Nationals worth $37.5 million (for an update on all the free agent movement check out our Free Agent Tracker). Despite the power surge in the playoffs you shouldn’t expect Murphy to reach 15 homers since he never has before. He can hit, though, with a .288 career mark, he’s been at .281 or better each of the last five years, and though he stole only two bags last season he had averaged 16 the previous three seasons. A nice late round add for the infield.

Leave it to Jayson Stark to rack up one great year end piece. Here’s my favorite diddy he reported. The Mariners catchers had an OPS of .464 in 2015. The Giants PITCHERS produced a mark of .463.

Justin Upton and Alex Gordon are still without homes. Sounds like the market for both is pretty cool at the moment which seems odd given how talented they are. Both could end up with contracts worth $100 million dollars. All depends which club takes the bait and bids the price up. I’d rather have both over Cespedes if the price is the same.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Thursday at 8 PM EDT and Friday at 10 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 7 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).