Cespedes deal complete and Mets get ready for the spring

Rich Mancuso-100x100Cespedes deal complete and Mets get ready for the spring

 

By Rich Mancuso

 

So the mission is complete as the New York Mets and Yoenis Cespedes have reunited. For GM Sandy Alderson and the Wilpon ownership, a three-year $75 million deal with the option to opt out after one year is satisfactory and solidifies that power bat in the lineup.

 

One word for Mets fans since the signing was announced this past Friday: Ecstatic!  21 days and counting for the official start of spring training when pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie Florida.  Cespedes wants to complete that mission to returning and winning the World Series and with his bat in the lineup that is ever more possible.

 

Yoenis Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes

Some of the highlight comments that stand out from a conference call Wednesday with media that included Alderson and Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon clarified the significance of getting the deal done. And it was a deal that supposedly caught everyone by surprise, with exception of course from this writer who had the sources report it would be done.

 

The key words again from Cespedes, as it was when he exited that Mets clubhouse after a Game 5 World Series loss to the  Kansas City Royals, “I want to remain a New York Met.”  All along Mets’ fans wanted the Cespedes bat back in the lineup that helped the team finish up 37-22 and topped the National League in runs with 5.4 per game.

 

Of course that cog in the lineup propelled them to a NL East and league championship. Persistence and silently the Mets achieved a coup of the offseason. Content for all involved that includes a skeptical fan base and now a  willingness to spend is a reality.

 

  • Wilpon: “We’re a destination where players want to be, I think is the biggest testament.”
  • Alderson: :I think if you look at it, it’s mutually beneficial. There’s no question this all rests on the fact Yoenis wanted to come back to New York.”

 

And is is also more of a statement now about how important Yoenis Cespedes means to the New York Mets.

 

CARLOS TORRES UPDATE:  The righthander out of the bullpen was designated for assignment last week after making room on the roster for reliever Antonio Bastardo. Torres, who logged a record number of innings out of the pen the past two years, is currently in Los Angeles awaiting his options  and said late Wednesday about his status, “I wish it wasn’t the case.”

 

Torres, one of the good guys in the clubhouse who would receive the media, in good or bad times did not express any bitterness towards the Mets organization and decision to remove him from the 40-man roster.  There is a possibility that Torres could be a part of the mix if he is not acquired by another team, and there is that slim chance of the Mets offering an invite to spring training with an opportunity to make the 25-man roster or latch on with their Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate team.

 

Said Torres: “I don’t get any updates. No one informs me of anything. When the 10-days are up and they either do something with me or put me on waivers.”  Word is the San Francisco Giants and the crosstown Yankees have expressed interest in talking with Torres if the Mets indeed bypass his services.

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