Baltimore restaurant offers Yoenis Cespedes crab legs for life
On Friday, MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that the Baltimore Orioles had offered free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes a five-year contract worth around $90MM.
It was also reported Friday by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that Cespedes has been seeking a six-year deal worth around $22MM annually, leaving Baltimore’s reported offer one year and $42MM short in guaranteed money.
[Elsewhere: Dallas Keuchel gets record $7.25MM in arbitration deal with Astros]
That’s a pretty big gap that will only be closed by Cespedes’ market completely collapsing, forcing him to lower his demands, or by the Orioles upping the ante significantly. That’s the reality, and with that reality now known, one Baltimore restaurant has stepped up with an impressive offer that could the Orioles’ offer in the right ballpark.
That’s right, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore is back at it again, offering Cespedes free steamed crab legs for life if he signs with the Orioles.
If you recall, Jimmy’s also offered Chris Davis free crab cakes for life if he re-signed.
So far that one hasn’t paid off, but the restaraunt’s persistance and desire to help out is admirable.
As for the Cespedes offer, it’s actually pretty significant. Not only because we’re talking “free” and “for life,” but because Cespedes is a seafood lover capable of a clearing a plate faster than he clears the bases.
The Mets obviously took care of Cespedes seafood cravings. That won’t be lost on him either if he decides to go the one-year route and enter free agency again next winter. But again, crab legs for life plus $90MM might be too good to pass up.
[Elsewhere: Maury Wills says he can turn around Yasiel Puig in spring training]
At this point, Cespedes’ search has gone on weeks longer than anyone anticipated. We’re smack dab in the middle of January for crying out loud and no real favorite has stepped forward. Once we get to this point in the offseason, it’s almost inevitable that a free-agent decision will turn on something unforeseen, and that unforeseen something could be seafood, as in Jimmy’s Famous Seafood.
Don’t discount it, folks.
BLS H/N: Extra Mustard
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
