Yoenis Cespedes knows he could be traded but is saying all the right things anyway

This interview with Yoenis Cespedes by Joon Lee at Over The Monster was conducted before the Sox signed Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, but Cespedes had already heard the rumors about Boston possibly moving him before then. And, despite the growing sense that he could be the odd man out in the Red Sox’ plans, Cespedes still had all of the right things to say:

“I’m working very hard in the offseason in order to help bring the people of Boston another Championship,” Cespedes said. “I plan on putting in extra work from learning to play left field in front of the Green Monster or making the adjustment to playing right field if necessary. Regardless of the position, I just want to continue working hard in hopes of winning my first Gold Glove.”

He certainly has the arm to play anywhere. And, despite some of the rumblings from Boston just after the season ended, doesn’t give off a vibe that he’s not a team player.

Not that individual considerations wouldn’t be unreasonable for him right now. 2015 is a big, big year for Cespedes. It’s the last before he hits free agency and where he ends up, should he be traded, could greatly impact the sort of dough he’ll make on his next deal. One rumored destination is Cincinnati, which has pitching to trade. That’d be a great park to showcase his power.

Lots of teams could use a power bat, of course. And there’s certainly a lot riding on his next season, both for him personally, for the team that lands him and for the Red Sox, depending on what they get in return. He may be the most interesting player to watch over the next couple of weeks.