Injuries have derailed Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes’ career over the past couple seasons, but the 34-year-old is finally progressing toward a return to a major league diamond. On Monday, Cespedes tweeted a video of himself sprinting, swinging a bat and catching a fly ball at the Mets’ spring training headquarters in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (hat tip to Matt Kelly of MLB.com)
While it may not sound like much, any footage of Cespedes performing baseball activities is encouraging at this point. The injury-riddled Cespedes has gone from star to afterthought dating back to 2017, having appeared in a meager 119 regular-season games since then. He didn’t play past July in 2018 and didn’t suit up at all last year on account of foot problems. Cespedes fractured his right ankle in May as a result of a dust-up with, of all things, a wild boar at his ranch in Port St. Lucie.
If there’s a silver lining for the Mets, it’s that Cespedes’ boar battle did lead to some financial relief for them. The team stopped paying his salary for 2019 sometime last season, and the two sides reached an agreement on an amended contract back in December. Consequently, New York will shell out $6MM to Cespedes this year instead of the $29.5MM he was supposed to earn. That’s a positive development for the club’s books, but it’s obviously not the outcome the Mets envisioned when they re-signed Cespedes to a four-year, $110MM deal before the 2017 season.
Cespedes is now going into the last season of his pact, though it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll come close to resembling the player he was before his health troubles arose. It’s also up in the air just how much playing time Cespedes will garner in 2020, as the Mets have a strong mix of other corner outfield-capable players (Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith) and could add yet another starting-caliber OFer in trade target Starling Marte. There’s also no designated hitter role for Cespedes to fall back on, and he can’t make a regular shift to first base with NL Rookie of the Year winner Pete Alonso entrenched at the position.
It’s amazing how quickly people heal when money is no longer guaranteed.
Lol
Spot on my friend!
Because you’re a doctor.
No because of the obvious.
No, but he plays one on tv.
LOL
No…. blue stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night
ain’t that the truth. Hoping for the best but prepping for the worst
A Mustang sighting! –Retro
OMG!!!
Miss you dude!
And the site and all the people!
I have been a lost baseball soul since Irrupt ending. Lol
Where are you hanging your blogging baseball hat now?
Hear from anyone else?
Escially Cespedes more than anyone
EXACTLY. One of the most overpaid, overhyped and least likely of players “to lead by example” in the history of the game.
I root for him to get off to an incredibly hot start so the Mets (hopefully) unload this pos to an al team. He showboats, phones in his effort and only wants to play when HE has something to grin from it.
I hope you don’t have children.
I do, and both have worked full time since they were teenagers, unlike Cespedes. See, we taught them to EARN their money, work hard every day and to respect their opportunities and coworkers.
Have you found viewsfrom314ft.com yet? I post over there. And there are two slack channels. Drop a note over at 314 and I’ll connect you to the slack channel owners. Former RABers, of course.
his injury right before his double ankle break/surgery was pretty significant. The only reason this happened was because he lied about the boar. he took on a foul beast and lost and was probably going to get sued by the Mets if he didn’t do this. he’s probably also very embarrassed and pissed at himself which are probably driving motivators as well. without a doubt this guy’s hates that sour unforgiving reckless ankle-breaking beast.
There was a report that this wasn’t his first run in with a boar, and a Florida resident commented on an article that mean wild board are not uncommon there, to the point that people are allowed to shoot them as nuisances. My guess is this adds to the case that this was negligent behavior rather than a freak occurrence.
He prolly wasn’t supposed to be on his ranch at all……….
He could have just gone to the Publix or Winn-Dixie for his bacon.
I believe he was honest from the boar since it happened, at least that’s what I heard on sports talk radio. That’s why they felt justified in not paying him.
The author left out some key info about the new contract. Cespedes can earn more than the $6M with incentives. But if the Mets drop him before the start of the season they are out only the $6M. Big lux tax implications if they keep him.
Very good chance this guy gets dropped, oink!
Assuming this is like any non guaranteed deal when it came thru a negotiated agreement is quite dumb
I’d bet money they agreed to NOT do just that as part of the agreement
I bet Cespedes is bad at business and so is his representation. He could have fought and kept all the money. Or they could have worked together to make sure there wasn’t any evidence of wrong doing on his part.
I think if hes healthy and playing well he will be traded to AL squad before ST ends. If hes slow and not kicking it then you can just release him and only be hook for 6 mill. It’s a win win win for mets. If hes killing it he makes max 20 mill, if he sucks you drop him and eat 6 mill and if hes tradable then you can sell him for relief in money or pitching. All I know is
Nimmo
McNeil
Alonso
Cespedes
Conforto
Ramos
Cano
Rosario
is a pretty nasty lineup if ces is ces… hoping for the best, prepared for the worst
Do you really think Cespedes can hit clean up after being away for so long?
The dude gets hurt just cleaning up his ranch.
Probably not, but however you shuffle that batting order it’s got some potential.
Where does Davis fit in? Splits are about even, 900 ops vs R or L. He plays over Nimmo, Cespedes or even Cano moving McNeill to second. Probably all switch off even Conforto taking some days off, but Davis has gotta play hit 337 second half and is just coming into his prime.
Assuming Cespedes is ready by opening day, Davis starts the season on the bench. It’s that simple.
Actually, assuming Cespedes makes it to the opening day roster in one piece, Davis should starting at 3b this year with Nimmo in a platoon with Cespedes, late inning defense, double switches and running for Cespedes after the 7th.
Without Cespedes, I think the Mets go after Marte real aggressively at the first sign that he won’t be productive.
Would make a nice platoon with Mazara in RF
‘Cause I’ve got friends in low places
Where the whiskey drowns
And the boar chases my blues away
And I’ll be okay
Davis,Smith, Nimmo and Matz for Arenado.
Prospects for Marte.
McNeil to second.
McNeil
Alonso
Arenado
Cespedes
Conforto
Marte
Ramos
Rosario
Buck as Manager.
Sorry but Cespedes won’t be a regular ever again. But it would be nice if mid thirties sluggers could still make massive comebacks like they did in the nineties…
Since we’re having fun with our fantasies, why not?
Betts
McNeil
Arenado
Alonso
Cespedes
Conforto
Ramos
Rosario
That is the type of delusional trade proposal usually made by yankee fans.
Did you shoot Cano into the sun?
Cause with a 22 mil price tag, unless there’s a toe tag on him, he’s playing.
I fully expect Cano to miss at least 81 games. If it’s not a ped fail, it’ll be old man time knocking him off the field.
The tougher call would be if neither of the two scenarios above occur and he is unproductive. Will the new rookie manager have what it takes to bench him?
We love big signings but the reality is that so many players get complacent when they sign big contracts, and the bad investments seem to outweigh the good. I wish Yasmany Tomas would play with a boar.
This is definitely true of Cespedes. He only seems to play hard when a contract is on the line.. They never should have signed him to the new deal without the opt-out.
The Mets and the Rays are the dark horses to win the world series this year without Cespedes. They both have the pitching and mix to stay in contention. Right now, the Nats are the team to beat even if Cespedes comes back.
He was never meant to be. He has the honor of the “greatest player that never played” award.
Nope. That honor goes to Sid Finch.
Ha ha, thanks nymetsking! Thanks to you, I looked up Sid Finch. Learned something new today. lol. Great story!
Did the video show him pulling up lame with a quad pull or was that part edited out?
I would wager that he’s older than he says. There is no way to verify with these defectors from Cuba.
Is there any chance, given the types of injuries he’s coming back from at his age, that he won’t be one of the slowest players in baseball? Possibly not usable in the outfield.
So who goes to the bench if he plays? Conforto? McNeil? Davis, who hit .300 last year and was one of the Mets most consistent hitters? The projects put as a 34 year old platoon player who has missed 2 years, but we all know he won’t accept sitting on the bench against righties because that’ll hurt his chances at cashing in on his incentives.
I have foot issues and trust me, it’s not something that you can just tape and go. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he fails a ped test early because I have little doubt he used to try to heal.
Having both Cespedes and Cano sitting in that dugout when out of the lineup is going to be high drama and no cakewalk for any new manager the Mets inked to lead this team.
Just imagine the possible marketing opportunities if he went to the Phillies AAA team. Ps, that’s the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs who already feature bacon in most promotions!