Mets make Yoenis Cespedes re-signing official

Yoenis Cespedes says he could not deny the lure of playing with the New York Mets again after signing a three-year deal with the team.

Cespedes is now a free agent and hasn’t land the long-term, big-money deal he was seeking. The Mets, like any organization in any industry, depend on some degree of goodwill among their customers, and the ensuing blowback from the Cespedes-Nationals reports felt, to me, more like a legitimate public-relations disaster than simply another #MetsTwitter meltdown. The Wilpons’ financial limitations have been a hugely frustrating circumstance for years, and especially so as this offseason progressed: Given the Mets’ recent accomplishments and the players available via free agency, it seemed like the obvious time for a significant investment in the major league roster, i.e., it was time to go for it. Instead, the front office proceeded with lesser and cost-conscious choices.

The right-handed hitter and formidable outfielder started out his blitz for the Detroit Tigers last season, after which he was traded by them to NY. He had 17 home runs and 44 RBIs in 57 games with the Mets, winning over fans and teammates nearly immediately.

“It’s great to have his big bat back in the middle of the lineup”, said manager Terry Collins.

Cespedes’ bat in the lineup makes the offense much more legitimate.

If he chooses to stay with the Mets beyond this season, Cespedes gets a $23.75 million salary in each of the final two years of the deal. But he never received the huge multiyear offer he and the Mets expected, allowing Mets general manager Sandy Alderson to enter the negotiations with a shorter-term proposition. Since his debut in 2012, Cespedes has 48 outfield assists, the most in the majors. A back injury slowed him in September and in the postseason, but he still is an excellent setup man, who you know can pitch in NY and fit into the fabric of the clubhouse. Righthander Tyler Clippard is still out there and the Mets should look to make him an offer to bring him back. The deal, which has yet to be confirmed by the club, will run for three seasons at around $25 million per year and includes an opt-out clause after the first year. Heyward signed with the Chicago Cubs and Upton agreed to a contract with the Tigers.

Update: The Mets officially signed Cespedes to a three-year deal on January 26, at 6:32 p.m. NY confirmed the news through their official Twitter account. The specifics aren’t known, but Heyman hears that, like the Nationals, the Orioles had a five-year deal on the table. Cespedes is coming off a career year in which he set new high totals in home runs with 35 and RBI with 105. He finished 13th in NL MVP voting and won an AL Gold Glove in the same season.

After the trade, Cespedes started 39 regular-season games in center field for the Mets and 14 in left.