Yoenis Cespedes
Before teams were able to sign free agents, the Mets extended the $15.8 million qualifying offer to Daniel Murphy. We know that if Murphy would’ve accepted the offer, it would’ve prevented the Mets failed pursuit of Ben Zobrist. The Neil Walker–Jon Niese trade doesn’t happen. Murphy accepting the qualifying offer would’ve had greater implications.
During the cost of the offseason, the Mets signed Asdrubal Cabrera ($8.25 million), Jerry Blevins ($4.0 million), Bartolo Colon ($7.25 million), Alejandro De Aza ($5.75 million), Antonio Bastardo ($5.375 million), and, of course, Yoenis Cespedes ($27 million). Between the group of them, they are all being paid a combined $57.625 million in 2016. So right off the bat, the Mets spent this offseason. Therefore, it would not be fair to say Murphy accepting the qualifying offer would’ve prevented the Mets from spending money this offseason.
Yet, it would be fair to say Murphy accepting the qualifying offer would greatly impact how the Mets proceeded with their offseason plans.
First off, the Mets would’ve have to had to address Niese is some fashion. If the Mets kept him, Niese would’ve been owed $9.0 million or $1.75 million more than what the Mets are paying Colon. It’s possible the Mets could’ve kept Niese using him as a fifth starter until Zack Wheeler returned. At that point, he would return to the bullpen where he had success in the postseason last year.
If the Mets were intent on trading Niese, it would’ve been interesting to see what the Mets would’ve received in exchange. Naturally, they wouldn’t have pursued a second baseman. Other than Andrelton Simmons, there wasn’t a shortstop of note who was traded in the offseason. It’s fair to say Niese would have been insufficient as a trade piece to fetch Simmons. Instead, it’s more likely the Mets would’ve pursued a bullpen arm.
In the offseason, the Mets signed Bastardo and Blevins to a combined total of $9.375 million. Judging by how early the Mets signed Blevins, it’s possible the Mets would not have signed Bastardo. Bastardo’s money likely would’ve been allocated to the hypothetical bullpen arm. So, it’s possible the Mets bullpen would’ve looked different had the Mets retained Murphy.
However, the biggest change might’ve been Cespedes. Even without Murphy accepting the qualifying offer, the Mets initial plan in the offseason was to sign De Aza to platoon with Juan Lagares. It’s possible with more money invested than they would’ve otherwise, it’s possible the Mets stop there and don’t add Cespedes. Where Cespedes goes after that would be anyone’s guess.
It’s possible with the Nationals getting shut out on everyone else, they would’ve been in a position to offer a better deal to Cespedes. There may have been a greater sense of urgency too. Also, with the $15.8 million invested in Murphy, it’s likely the Mets wouldn’t have had the money to offer to Cespedes to prevent him from going to the Nationals.
Overall, the only move the Mets made that should not have been impacted was Cabrera. Even with paying Murphy $15.8 million, the Mets still could’ve afforded to spend what they spent on Cabrera. As discussed heretofore, there’s no telling how else the Mets would’ve proceeded. We don’t know what else they would’ve or could’ve done. The one thing everyone can be fairly confident about is Cespedes likely would’ve signed with another team.
While I still maintain that Murphy returning on a reasonable deal would’ve been better than the Walker-Niese trade, Murphy not accepting the qualifying offer was the best thing that happened to the Mets this offseason.
In the movie Major League, Pedro Cerrano freaked out the young guys in the clubhouse because he was trying to sacrifice an animal in his attempt to help the Indians win the pennant:
(By the way, this is an iconic scene. How is it not available on YouTube?)
Like his fellow Cuban, Yoenis Cespedes is sacrificing animals to help the Mets.
Cespedes already sent his $7,000 pig to the butcher.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 2, 2016
Like Cerrano, people have stepped in to prevent the sacrifice from taking place. Seriously, vegan bacon? At least Jake Taylor got a bucket of KFC.
With the attempted animal sacrifices and the raw power, it appears Cespedes is turning into Cerrano. Where does it end from here? Does Cespedes have trouble hitting curveballs? Does Cespedes use the covers from his golfbag to keep his bats warm?
No matter what, I just hope he doesn’t lose his marbles:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8Mve0zRiw6w
If he loses his marbles, and he cannot hit a curveball chances are he’s going to have to go to Japan to try to resurrect his career. There they will refer to him as “The Hammer” instead of “La Potencia.”
But I guess the ending isn’t all bad for Cespedes. From there, he somehow will become the President of the United States (even if he wasn’t a natural born citizen) before becoming a high profile insurance salesman.
All joking aside, Cespedes has kept Spring Training fun. Lost in this shuffle is the fact that the $7,000 Cespedes paid for the pig went to charity, and he ultimately had no control over what happened to it. I’m glad Cespedes is back with the Mets, and I hope like in Major League II, the Mets can climb that last hurdle.
Mets fans have been waiting a long time for a World Series. I’m sure we’ll all be happy to sacrifice a chicken or a pig if that’s what it takes. Heck, I’d even try some of that vegan bacon.
What a difference a year makes. This time last year, Juan Lagares was coming off a 5.5 WAR season and a Gold Glove. There was discussion about him being the leadoff hitter in 2015. He seemed to be ready to take the next big step in his career.
Instead, Lagares regressed in every aspect of his game. His epic defense noticeably slipped. His batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage dropped. Eventually, he forced the Mets to trade for an outfielder at the trade deadline. A player that was supposed to have a breakout year became a platoon player and a late inning defensive replacement.
The Mets tried to trade Lagares at the deadline. The initial plan was to sign Alejandro De Aza to play a platoon with Lagares. When it became apparent the Mets could sign Yoenis Cespedes on a short term deal, they moved to get that done. That makes Lagares a fourth outfielder, at best, and a defensive replacement in 2016. Apparently, he has an untradeable contract.
That begs the question of what will be Lagares’ future with the Mets?
As noted in 2016, it will be as a bench player and late defensive replacement. Beyond that is anyone’s guess. Will he be able to build off a strong postseason? Will his elbow heal sufficiently enough to permit him to throw better in the outfield and/or swing the bat better? The Mets hope the answer to all these questions is yes.
Cespedes has an opt out after this year, and he could be out the door after this season. Curtis Granderson is only signed through 2017. Furthermore, he’s going to be 35 by Opening Day. Who knows if Brandon Nimmo will ever become a major leaguer let alone a starting outfielder? Also, as noted, Lagares may have an untradeable contract. He’s due to make $4.5 million in 2017, $6.5 million in 2018, and $9.0 million in 2019.
Personally, I’m still high on Lagares. He showed a lot in the postseason. He should be able to become the best defensive center fielder in baseball again. He’s got another year to work with Kevin Long to see if he can help Lagares maximize his offensive abilities.
Lagares is going to get his chances this year. He should play in almost every game to provide late inning defensive help. He should get starts against lefties allowing Granderson or Michael Conforto a day off. So yes, Lagares will be a bench player in 2016, but he will also have plenty of opportunities to improve. He will have plenty of opportunities to show the Mets he’s an important part of the Mets’ future.
Hopefully, this year, Lagares will take that step forward we were all hoping he would take last year.
If you’ve got young kids, you find yourself singing the same songs over and over again. They’re inane songs your kids love like BINGO and Old McDonald. Seeing Yoenis Cespedes‘ recent activity, I decided to update it so that it may be more tolerable. Enjoy.
Old Yoenis bought a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm, there was a pig
E-I-E-I-O
With a homerun here
And a homerun there
Here a home, there a run
Everywhere a homerun
Old Yoenis bought a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old Yoenis bought a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm, there was a horse
E-I-E-I-O
With a homerun here
And a homerun there
Here a home, there a run
Everywhere a homerun
Old Yoenis bought a farm
E-I-E-I-O
OLD YOENIS BOUGHT A FARM
E-I-E-I-O
Sometimes Spring Training stories can be mundane, but we read them anyway because we’re desperate for anything baseball related this time of year. Other times, as Adam Rubin reports, Yoenis Cespedes buys a pig for $7,000.
It’s not as strange as it sounds. Cespedes was wearing a cowboy outfit when he purchased it.
Cespedes rules.
It’s at the point where nothing Cespedes does now will surprise me. He spent the beginning of Spring Training showing off his car collection. Now that he’s out of cars to premiere, Cespedes is now purchasing livestock. Today was a big. Tomorrow may be a cow. Hopefully, he will purchase a goat as there is a Murphy missing from this Spring Training.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Cespedes buys more animals and creates a petting zoo. Maybe he will have a luau. I can see him naming the pig Babe and taking him to New York City. Cespedes’ quirky behavior has been a lot of fun in what is usually a boring time of the year. So far, year two of Cespedes has been fantastic.
Hopefully, this year Cespedes winds up a champion like the pig he just purchased.
(Photo from the Cut4 Twitter account)
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.
The short answer is no. A slightly longer answer is they’re not permitted to increase a suspension under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. With that said, I was pondering that question when I saw Hansel Robles agree to a two game suspension.
You know who else received a two game suspension? Chase Utley.
To put it in perspective, here are the two plays in question:
The optics of Robles’ pitch do not look good. It was a pitch by the head. He made the pitch in a game that had a number of hit batters, including Yoenis Cespedes right on the hands. The benches were warned. For his part, Robles states there was no intent. As Ron Darling points out, it was a slider that did not slide. It might’ve been because Robles tried to quick pitch the slider. Luckily, no one was hurt.
Now Utley went beyond just trying to break up a double play. He didn’t slide. He wasn’t in the baseline. As a result of his actions, he broke Ruben Tejada‘s leg. Utley forever changed Tejada’s career. For that, Utley received two games. Baseball actually tried to get him to agree to a one game suspension. Utley’s appeal of the suspension is still pending.
Think about that for a second. Whether or not you think Utley should’ve been suspended, how does it make sense for Robles to have a longer suspend io than Utley? Utley potentially altered someone’s career. He ended someone’s season. Robles had a pitch get away from him.
If you are going to say Robles was found to have done it intentionally, I disagree. However, it would raise a new question. How is throwing a ball at someone’s head only worth two games? That’s a dangerous play that should never be tolerated. To put it in perspective, Cole Hamels was suspended five games for hitting Bryce Harper in the small of his back.
These suspensions don’t make sense. They’re preposterous. If baseball really wants to protect players, they should throw the book at players who actually intend to injure players.
You know what’s better than rooting for a winning team? Rooting for a winning team that’s fun.
After the trade deadline, the Mets team was fun to watch. They had a certain joy while playing the game. They brought an energy to the field. It spilled over into the stands. The 2015 run was the most fun I had watching a team since 2006.
It looks like the Mets will be bringing more of the same energy to the field in 2015. Perhaps inspired by Yoenis Cespedes, Jeurys Familia has recorded his own entrance music. I hope it is as catch as Cespedes’ walk-up music:
Seriously Mets fans, we’ve heard this song plenty of times now. There is no reason for you to miss shouting, “CESPEDES” each time it’s mentioned in the song. It’s part of the fun environment the Mets players have created. Just listening to the song makes me remember all of Cespedes’ homeruns.
That’s the bar set for Familia’s entrance music. He needs to have something fans will love. He needs something that reflects how awesome he is. I can’t wait to hear it.
The more and more I think about it, 2016 is going to be a fun season.
Overall, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Yoenis Cespedes‘ 2016 season isn’t a disappointment. He’s expected to break Barry Bonds (or Roger Maris‘) single season homerun record, Hack Wilson‘s single season RBI record, and find a cure for cancer. Yes, this is hyperbole, but it’s really not that far from what’s being expected of him.
After his incredible run last year, Cespedes has set the bar sky high. When he came to the Mets, he played the best baseball of his life. It was some of the best baseball anyone has ever seen. More than anything, this has been the reason why he’s had all the attention surrounding him. If Tim Teufel had these cars, it would be an amusing antidote, but it wouldn’t be the focus of each and every day this Spring.
Look, the Cespedes’ car thing has been terrific. It’s added some fun to Spring Training. We’re talking about this instead of Terry Collins leaving in Matt Harvey, David Wright‘s back, Jacob deGrom tweaking his groin, Alejandro De Aza‘s possible discontent, or Roger Bernadina having visa issues. No, the Mets are having a fun camp in large part due to Cespedes.
That’s is unless you’re John Harper of the Daily News:
Just as Mets fans were quick to turn on Harvey during the innings-limit controversy last season, citing his look-at-me tendencies, they’ll tire quickly of hearing about Cespedes’ lifestyle if he doesn’t put up big numbers.
Same goes for the clubhouse. Teammates will gladly accept Stsr behavior as long as it comes with star performance. And certainly Cespedes has earned plenty of slack in this area, having astonished his fellow Mets with his offensive exploits last summer after coming over from the Tigers on July 31.
Why are we preemptively chastising Cespedes? Keep in mind, this is the same writer that despite knowing all of the “issues” Cespedes presents, he implored the Mets to re-sign him. Now that he’s here, what’s the point of tearing him down?
Cespedes was everything the Mets thought he would be and more last year. So far, he has been everything we thought he would be this Spring Training. It makes sense that the guy with the neon yellow arm sleeve and the 52 medallion would have an epic car collection. It makes more sense that Cespedes was going to be the focal point of this team no matter what he did. Why not have some fun along the way?
Look, his season is bound to be a disappointment. His 162 game averages are “only” 30 homeruns and 103 RBI. That’s not going to be enough for some people. That’s a shame because fans wanted Cespedes here, and he wanted to be here. No matter what Cespedes does this season that should be celebrated. Instead, the Daily News is already finding ways to tear him down.
These preemptive attacks should be driven off a cliff.
Editor’s Note: this column first appeared on metsmerizedonline.com
Before my son was born, my wife and I used to like to take trips for New Year’s. Our favorite trip was in 2012 when we went to Côte d’Azur.
Part of Côte d’Azur is the principality of Monaco. To gain citizenship in Monaco, you have to be the richest of the rich. You have to keep more than €1 million in a Monaco bank at all times, and while there is no income tax, there is a VAT tax. Citizens are required to establish they spent so much money a year. Monaco will find out because they require you providing access to your personal and financial information.
None of these requirments are particularly onerous for people who wish to apply. These are the people that buy yachts because they have money to burn.
You quickly learn in Monaco the uber rich find interesting ways to flaunt how rich they are. For example, Prince Albert has his private collection of cars on display at the Exposition De Voitres Anciennes de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco. Loosely translated, this means, “Hey! I’m so rich that I have more expensive cars than I know what to do with, so come here and look at them.” There is a notice posted that the cars are a collection and not a museum. Here are some:
I was reminded of this collection seeing Yoenis Cespedes, who is making $27 million this year, showing off his car collection:
VIDEO: Here's Yoenis Cespedes arriving at Mets camp on Sunday morning — three days… https://t.co/iK2jOpAz2X pic.twitter.com/T8yoagyhXK
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) February 21, 2016
More shots of Cespedes's new three-wheel ride. Mets teammates even came out to see it. pic.twitter.com/29CkA5Srqf
— Andrew Beaton (@andrewlbeaton) February 23, 2016
Casual Wednesday. @ynscspds arrived at practice today in this custom Lamborghini. #Mets pic.twitter.com/Enhupzhvu8
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 24, 2016
Tomorrow will be Cespedes's Alfa Romero 8C Competizione. Some pics from the guy who tricked it out: pic.twitter.com/ZW0NcgMhN5
— Andrew Beaton (@andrewlbeaton) February 24, 2016
Tricked. Out. #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/jVlwynRKJU
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) February 26, 2016
And here's the still photography of the sixth and — hopefully — final vehicle of Yoenis Cespedes: pic.twitter.com/Nbtk1zlYdd
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) February 27, 2016
Cowboy @ynscspds and @noahsyndergaard ride in to practice. #Metshttps://t.co/4cL6UqUzuk
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 1, 2016
By the way, in addition to these cars, Cespedes has an expensive car on loan to Wilmer Flores during Spring Training:
Yoenis Cespedes' Alfa Romeo has arrived. Wilmer Flores has been driving it. pic.twitter.com/JtFvqpQTqg
— Robert Brender (@robertbrender) February 24, 2016
It’s now apparent that Cespedes is the Prince of Citi Field, and he’s using the Port St. Lucie parking lot as his exhibition of rich and expensive cars.