Cespedes Is Cooking!

As we saw during Spring Training, Yoenis Cespedes is serious about his cooking. He even lent out his Lamborghini just so he could have the right waffle iron

Lately, Cespedes has moved from waffles to eggs. 

Cespedes is cooking!  This year Cespedes has been the Mets best player. He’s hit .303/.384/.660 with 15 homers and 36 RBI. He leads the majors in homers, RBI, slugging, OPS+, and awesome cars. As we’ve seen these results are a result of what he’s been cooking up. Recently, he shared some of his eggs with Michael Conforto:

Conforto has hit homers two games in a row. He has also been the Mets second best player hitting .284/.358/.553 with eight homers and 24 RBI. 

Considering how the Mets have been hitting lately, it’s time the rest of the Mets start having what Cespedes is cooking. If he needs some help, I got the perfect sous chef for him. 

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Cespedes Is Cooking

What did you have for breakfast today? 

Me? I had my usual bottle of Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. I would’ve grabbed something on the way into work, but I didn’t have time to stop. I really could’ve gone for some waffles, but there’s no waffle iron at the office:

I know what I’ll do. I’ll give someone the keys to my Lamborghini to pick up a waffle iron

Just think about that for a second. Think about loving waffles so much you toss your keys for a car worth about $400,000 to make a Target run. Check that. You are so particular about your waffles that you’re willing to give the keys to that car to someone to get a round waffle maker because you don’t particularly like square waffles. 

I have to admit that year two of Yoenis Cespedes has been terrific thus far. Once Cespedes has arrived he has been the constant topic of conversation. 

We’re not talking about Terry Collins’ decision in Game 5 of the World Series. We didn’t freak out when Jacob deGrom tweaked his groin. There are a number of other issues that may have arisen that we’re not aware, or if we’re aware, we’re not focused upon them. 

Instead the talk is Cespedes’ cars and his breakfast options. It’s keeping Spring Training light and fun thus far. Instead of discussing what went wrong last year or what issues this team may have this year, we’re focused upon Cespedes. That’s a good thing. He was here to be the focal point of the Mets. He’s doing that. 

If I have one issue with Cespedes right now, it’s this – how could you not have a round waffle clause in your $27 million contract?  

Yoenis Cespedes Is Never A Boar

When it comes to Yoenis Cespedes, we have long since learned to never be surprised.

This is a man who put on a car show during the 2016 Spring Training. He’d give the keys to a clubhouse attendant one day to drive to the store because the clubhouse had the wrong waffle iron, and Cespedes wanted to make waffles.

We’d also see Cespedes purchase a farm, a $7,000 pig, and ride horses with Noah Syndergaard to Spring Training.

He’s as fun and eccentric a player the Mets have ever had. One day, he’s riding a horse to the ballpark, and the next, he’s hitting a homer against the Yankees despite needing double heel surgery.

That’s why, when he broke his ankle at his farm, you knew the story, if it ever broke was a doozy. Due to the exceptional reporting of Joel Sherman, Ken Davidoff, and Mike Puma of the New York Post, we have confirmation that it was even wilder than we ever anticipated:

According to multiple people who were informed of the incident, Cespedes has traps on his ranch for a variety of reasons, including to keep boars away from people. But one boar was removed from a trap — perhaps by Cespedes — and either charged toward Cespedes or startled him, causing Cespedes to step into a hole. Cespedes suffered the fractured ankle at a time when he was recovering from surgery to both heels that already was jeopardizing his playing status in 2019.

Yes, the same player who once opted music from the Lion King as his at-bat walk-up song potentially fought off a wild boar. At a minimum, he at least had to avoid them because that’s exactly what you expect to hear about a player rehabbing from double heel surgery.

Perhaps more remarkable than the story is the fact a Cespedes in two bum heels faced off in some fashion against a wild boar, and he lived to tell about it. Really, when you think about it, escaping with just a broken ankle is a near miracle.

For any other player, this would be a shocking story. Yet, with respect to Cespedes, it’s quite more bemusing. With this being the Mets, you absolutely have some to expect these things.

While we may not be entirely shocked Cespedes faced down a boar, we should also not be shocked when he hits a big homer in his return. After all, this is Cespedes, and he has never been boaring.

Cespedes Is A Dad Like The Rest Of Us

Year in and year out, the one thing you notice with Spring Training games is the stars rarely travel.  That goes double for when there are split squad games.  The bus travel during Spring Training is not ideal, and you really want to keep your best players both happy and healthy going into the season.

That is why I took a step back the other day when I saw Yoenis Cespedes traveled about an hour by bus with the Mets to Jupiter to play the Marlins in a split squad game.

Now, this wasn’t some interesting strategy that allowed Cespedes to get a look at some of the Marlins pitchers for the 2017 season.  It wasn’t even an opportunity for him to help find a spot for Tim Tebow in the Mets lineup at First Data Field.  No, it was for personal reasons for Cespedes that he made this rare trip:

In many ways, Cespedes has become almost a cartoon character with the Mets.  He’s a guy that is unstoppable at video game levels when he’s hot.  He’s the guy that had a car show at Spring Training last year.  He gave the keys to one of those expensive cars so someone could purchase the right waffle iron for him because as we know the biggest star on the Mets also makes breakfast for everyone.  He bought a farm, and he bought a pig at a State Fair.  He even rode horses one day at Spring Training with Noah Syndergaard.  To top it all off, he randomly decided to become the Lion King last year because why not?

Through it all, Cespedes has shown himself to be one unique individual, and that is why the fans love him.

Under all of that though, Cespedes is just a dad doing all he can do to make sure he can go watch his son’s baseball game.  Certainly, that is something all dads can appreciate.  It is certainly a trait we can all admire.  It is another reason that we can all root for Cespedes.

Thank You Yoenis Cespedes

Right now, anything is possible for the Mets next season because Yoenis Cespedes signed a four year $110 million contract to remain with the team.  Seriously, nothing can be ruled out.

We should see fancier cars.  The team will certainly have state of the art waffle makers at Spring Training.  Almost assuredly, there is no way the Mets will be able to keep Cespedes off the golf course.  There will certainly be interesting walk-up music this year.  After which, we will most likely see one of the many epic bat flips Cespedes has at his disposal.

More importantly, the Mets will have a player who could put a stamp down as being one of the most dynamic outfielders in Mets history.  That is no small statement considering Darryl Strawberry played at a Hall of Fame caliber level with the Mets, and Carlos Beltran furthered his chances of becoming a Hall of Famer during his time in Flushing.

And with that, anything is possible in 2017.  That goes double when you consider Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz will be rejoining Noah Syndergaard in the starting rotation next season.  Between the pitching and Cespedes bat in the middle of the lineup, the Mets could beat anybody in 2017.  Name the team, and at a minimum, the Mets have a good chance at beating them next year.  That’s how much the pitching and Cespedes mean to this team.

For 2017, and the ensuing three seasons, the Mets are going to have a chance to compete for a World Series because they have the pitching and they have La Potencia.  This team is now primed for a run like they were from 1984 – 1990.  There is a World Series champion lurking in the Mets clubhouse right now.  It’s only a matter of time before it happens.  This is how much Cespedes meant to this team.

With that said, everyone, and I mean everyone should go out and buy a Cespedes jersey to not only show appreciation to Cespedes for staying, but also for the Wilpons for paying the money required to bring Cespedes back to the Mets.  This organization is finally starting to spend like a big market club again, and it is happening at time when the Mets need it most.

Cespedes is Piazza 2.0

When Mike Piazza first came to the Mets, he was treated as the rock star he was. With him finally came the dreams of postseason berths and World Series titles. 

Then something bizarre happened. He struggled, and he was booed. I still don’t understand it, but it happened. Piazza was incredible when he came to the Mets. With the Mets floundering, Piazza took his play to another level carrying the Mets ever so close to the Wild Card. With the treatment he received, Piazza had every reason to walk, but he didn’t he stayed. He wanted to be a superstar in the biggest market. 

This is why he’s the perfect person to give advice to Yoenis Cespedes

Cespedes came to the Mets, and he was a rock star. His coming to the Mets coincided with them taking control of the NL East. Unlike Piazza, Cespedes never received the boos. To that extent, he was a bit lucky. After Cespedes was hit on the hand, his play declined. He went from Babe Ruth to Mario Mendoza. In the final 18 games of the 2015 season, he only hit .220/.288/.373 with one homerun and four RBI. However, the NL East was sown up. He wasn’t going to receive boos. 

The closest anyone would come was in the World Series. He missed player introductions before Game Three. After an uneven postseason, he fell apart in the World Series. He misplayed Alcides Escobar‘s flyball into an inside-the-park homerun. He hit .150/.143/.150 with six strikeouts in the series. Perhaps it was the shoulder injury. Maybe it was the moment. 

No one would boo. Fans don’t boo you in the postseason unless you’re Bobby Bonilla. However, his play was poor enough that fans were initially ready to let Cespedes walk. 

However, with an initially less than optimal offseason, Mets fans wanted Cespedes back. He wanted to come back too. All of what drove Mets fans crazy has been forgotten. Fans are re-embracing him. They love the cars. They love his little quirks. It’s a second honeymoon. That doesn’t mean that the fans won’t boo him this upcoming season. 

Cespedes is notoriously streaky. As far as fans are concerned, he’s the face of the team. One long cold streak coinciding with a struggling Mets team could bring out the boo birds instead of the parakeets. It’s exactly what Piazza had to deal with 18 years ago. It’s the reason why Cespedes and Piazza need to talk. 

Piazza can walk him through what it means to be a superstar in New York.  He can tell him how to deal with the booing. He can share how the fans lifted him up when he needed it. He knows the ins and outs of being the a superstar on the Mets. That’s what Cespedes is now. 

Fortunately, Cespedes has a Hall of Famer he can lean on to prepare for it. 

Francisco Lindor Already Better Than Advertised

When the New York Mets acquired Francisco Lindor, fans knew they were getting a future Hall of Famer. Well, it appears he is more than just that.

First and foremost, Lindor is just fun. He’s always smiling and seems to love playing more than anyone. Keep in mind, when you play with Brandon Nimmo that is really saying something.

He’s bringing an energy to the Mets much in the same way we once saw with Yoenis Cespedes and his Spring Training antics. For Lindor, that’s been dying his hair blue and donning the Eddie Murphy Mets jacket not only to go to work but later at picture day:

If we think this is fun, wait until he takes the field. When we see that, we’ll see what makes him a great player with an infectious personality. We should also see the Mets winning games.

In terms of that, Lindor is doing all he can to help the Mets be a winner in 2021. He’s already taken on a leadership role. We saw that in action as he worked to help J.D. Davis improve at third:

If Lindor can truly get Davis to even be competent at third, he will be pulling off a miracle. If miracle worker is part of his skill set, we probably shouldn’t be surprised.

Really, we shouldn’t be surprised by anything with Lindor. He’s fun. He’s a leader. He’s willing to help his teammates improve and raise their games.

All told, so far Lindor is everything promised, and he has already been far more. Just think, it’s already better than we all imagined, and he still hasn’t had the chance to wow us in the field.

I Still Have Hope . . . Sandy Shouldn’t

After a sweep of the Giants in San Francisco, fans could allow themselves hope for the 2017 season again.  Yes, the Giants are a dreadful team, but there was a lot to like about the Mets in that series.  If you dig deeper, there is still things to like about this Mets team.

Jacob deGrom is in a stretch where he has gone at least eight innings in three consecutive starts.  This could be the best stretch of his career, which is certainly saying something.

Rafael Montero has now had three consecutive strong outings allowing just two earned runs over his last 14.1 inning pitched. In this stretch, he not only finally looks like a major league pitcher, he looks like a good major league pitcher.

Curtis Granderson has been the best hitting National League outfielder in the month of June (204 wRC+), and he’s been hitting .297/.408/.595 with 13 doubles, two triples, nine homers, and 23 RBI since May 1st.

Jay Bruce has been resurgent hitting .315/.358/.629 with four doubles, eight homers, and 17 RBI.  He’s on pace for his first 40 home run season and just his second 100 RBI season.

While acting unprofessional about the switch to second base in the clubhouse, Asdrubal Cabrera has been nothing but professional on the field going 7-14 in the series and playing a very good second base. 

Lucas Duda is flat out raking hitting .375/.474/.813 over the past week, and as we know when Duda gets hot like this, he can carry the team for a long stretch.  Just ask the 2015 Nationals.

Lost in all of that is Yoenis Cespedes being Cespedes, Addison Reed being a dominant closer, and Seth Lugo stabilizing the rotation.  There is even the specter of David Wright returning to the lineup.  When you combine that with the Mets schedule, this team is primed to reel off nine straight wins.

If the Mets were to win nine straight, they would be just one game under .500.  At that point, the Mets will be red hot heading to another big series in Washington.  Last time the teams played there, the Mets took two of three.  After that is a bad Cardinals team before the All Star Break.

Combine this hypothetical Mets run with a Rockies team losing six straight, and the Mets are right back in the mix with a bunch of teams hovering around .500 for a shot at the postseason.  Last year, the Mets were under .500 as late as August 19th, and they still made the postseason.  Throw in a potential Amed Rosario call up, and you really have things cooking.  Why not this year’s team?

Well, that’s easy.  The bullpen is a mess.  You have no idea when Noah Syndergaard and Neil Walker can return if they can return at all.  Jose Reyes is playing everyday.  The route to the postseason partially relies upon Montero being a good major league pitcher, and the Mets calling up Rosario.  At this point, those are two things no one should rely.

As a fan?  We should all enjoy the ride for as long as it will carry us.  As Mets fans, we have seen miracles.  We saw this team win in 1969.  We saw a team dead in the water in 1973 go all the way to game seven of the World Series.  We watched a Mookie Wilson grounder pass through Bill Buckner‘s legs.  We saw Mike Piazza homer in the first game in New York after 9/11.

As fans, we can hold out hope for the impossible.  We can dream.  Sandy doesn’t have that luxury.  He needs to look at the reality of the Mets situation and make the best moves he possibly can.  That includes trading Bruce, Duda, Granderson, and any other veteran who can get him a good return on the trade market.

That still shouldn’t stop us from dreaming.  Who knows?  Maybe Rosario, Gavin Cecchini, and Dominic Smith can led the Mets to the postseason after Sandy is done selling.

Rumor Has It No More Trade Talk

I’m done with analyzing potential trades and players.  I don’t think the Mets are making any more moves.  I don’t think Sandy Alderson had the money to spend.  He was bluffing at that press conference because that’s his job.  He cannot announce to the world the Mets don’t have the money to add a contract.  That’s foolhardy.  It reduces your leverage in trade discussions, and it could keep fans away from the ballpark.  Both are bad for business, and if anything, Sandy is a good businessman.

Therefore, I’m not going to address how well I think Gerardo Parra will fit on this team, especially given Juan Lagares’ questionable health and offense.  I’m not going to address how a Jose Reyes deal will benefit the Mets on the field and in attendance.  I won’t go into how Justin Upton has been lousy since April and will only drag the Mets offense further down.  I’ve already wasted my breath on Jay Bruce.  We all know Yoenis Cespedes and Carlos Gonzalez are not going to be moved by their teams.

Any other players the Mets get besides the aforementioned players are just background noise.  They are bench parts that don’t have the day to day impact the Mets need on the field.  If the Mets acquire someone, I’ll do a write up on the trade.  If the Mets get one of the above, I’ll concede how very wrong I was.

I’m not being pessimistic.  I’m being realistic.  I do think the team on the field can compete for the postseason and the World Series.  When Travis d’Arnaud returns, the team is that much better.  If David Wright returns, and is at least a shadow of himself, watch out.  If Steven Matz returns, we’re really cooking.

Instead of focusing on what could be, I’m going to focus on what is and enjoy that.  I don’t think people do that enough nowadays.  I’m going to sit down tonight and watch the Mets game with my son until he falls asleep.  I’m going to watch the team on the field, and I’m going to enjoy the game (hopefully).  I’m just not going to sit here anymore and fret over what could be.  I’m going to enjoy what is.