Free-agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has agreed to a three-year, $75 million deal with the New York Mets, per multiple reports.
Advertisement
New York Mets land Yoenis Cespedes.
Though he agreed to a three-year deal, Cespedes could easily hit the free agent market again after this season. Cespedes hit.287/.337/.604 for the Mets and drove in 44 runs in 57 games, including eight home runs in an 11-game span to open September.
In fact, Rosenthal pointed out in his column Thursday night that Cespedes was torn about leaving NY to go to the nation’s capital.
During his four-year major-league career, Cespedes is a.271/.319/.486 hitter with 106 homers and 367 RBI.
The slugger, who joined the Mets last July and helped lead them to the World Series, can opt out of the contract after one season and make it worth $27.5 million.
Despite getting traded midseason and spending the final two months of 2015 in the National League, Cespedes won an American League Gold Glove Award, voted as one of the top three defensive outfielders in the junior circuit by league managers and coaches. With the Mets, Cespedes hit.
In retaining Cespedes, the Mets blew past their projected budget for 2016, and also showed good will to their fans who held the front office to its word to spend when the attendance increased.
It was reported earlier on Friday that the Mets were in talks with Cespedes’ camp but things remained relatively quiet until around 10:30 p.m. It was then that rumors of mystery teams emerged, as reported by both Rosenthal and Jon Heyman.
Advertisement
Cespedes is the fifth player that the Mets have signed to a contract of more than $50 million.
