New York Mets: Why Yoenis Cespedes Must Be Re-Signed
The New York Mets were eliminated by the San Francisco Giants in Wednesday night’s National League Wild Card Game. The game may have been the final one for Yoenis Cespedes in a Mets uniform.
Whether or not Yoenis Cespedes will be back in Queens next season remains unclear right now. If the New York Mets want to get back to the postseason next year, however, they must do everything in their power to re-sign him.
Cespedes, 30, agreed to a three-year, $75 deal with the Mets back in January. The contract allows for him to opt out of the final two years, but he must do so three days after the World Series concludes. There’s a very good chance that Cespedes will exercise this opt-out clause. This would make him a free agent for the second offseason in a row.
If Cespedes does opt out, it would be very understandable. There are plenty of teams that would not hesitate to give him a lucrative long-term deal. Because of how valuable he’s proven to be for the Mets, they need to be the team to do this.
I do not. Nor do the Mets. Then again, they were convinced Yoenis Cespedes was departing a year ago and he came back. So we'll see. https://t.co/YBsxuuYPvZ
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) October 7, 2016
More from New York Mets
- Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
- PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
- Get $500 in Bonus Bets to Back Yankees or Mets With PointsBet New York Promo
- PointsBet is Offering New Yorkers FIVE $50 Bonus Bets This Week For MLB, NHL, and NBA Games!
- Caesars is Offering New York’s Best Sportsbook Promo (Unlock $1,250 Bonus Today!)
Even though he’s only been with them for 14 months, Cespedes has had a bigger impact on the Mets than any other player in the last decade. He was clearly the best offensive player on their roster this season. In 479 at-bats, he batted .280 with 31 home runs and 86 RBIs. Cespedes was the driving force in the Mets lineup as they made their playoff push in 2015.
After being traded to the team from the Detroit Tigers on July 31, he hit .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs. If Mets general manager Sandy Alderson had not orchestrated that trade, it’s unlikely that they would have made the playoffs at all last year.
Yoenis Cespedes is the Mets' finalist for the NL Hank Aaron Award, which recognizes the most outstanding offensive performer in each league.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) October 6, 2016
If the Mets fail to re-sign Cespedes, their offense will have a lot of problems next season. In many ways, the lineup has revolved around him ever since his arrival in New York. His mere presence strikes fear in the eyes of opposing pitchers. When pitchers have chosen to pitch around him, other hitters in the Mets lineup have gotten opportunities to see good pitches.
Additionally, Cespedes has already proven that he can play at an elite level in New York. Many good players have come to this city and failed because they could not take the pressure. Mets fans certainly remember another left fielder who came to Queens and did not fare so well; does Jason Bay ring a bell?
Next: New York Mets 5 Greatest First Baseman Of All-Time
The bottom line is that Yoenis Cespedes is vital to the Mets if they want to continue to be contenders going forward. The offense would suffer a major blow should he decide to leave. They cannot let him slip away in free agency. If they do, the 2017 season might be a long one.