Yoenis Cespedes, Outfielder

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Age: October 18, 1985 (35)

Traditional Stats: 8 G, 31 AB, 3 runs, 5 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 15 K, .161./.235/.387/.622

Advanced Stats: -0.2 fWAR, -0.1 bWAR, .350 wOBA, 124 wRC+

Rundown

Yoenis Cespedes opened the shortened 2020 MLB season on the Opening Day roster after not playing in an MLB game since July 20, 2018. However, another one of the outfielder’s seasons came to a premature end, but this time due to his personal decision to opt out due to concerns over COVID-19.

Two of the many questions surrounding Cespedes in 2020 was when he would return and what kind of player would he be. While the first question was answered, the second still remains a mystery.

Cespedes’ 31 at-bats were not spectacular and more importantly, were way too small of a sample size. Even if he played the entire 60-game season, the jury would still have been out on what kind of player he is at his age and with his injury history. The fact that he only played in eight games does not help his case in free agency.

Contract

After helping lead the Mets to the playoffs in 2015 for the first time in nine years, Cespedes was re-signed by the club to a three-year, $75 million contract in 2016 with an opt out after the first season. Cespedes took the opt out during the 2016 offseason, but then signed a four-year, $110 million contract that made him a Met up until Wednesday.

Cespedes was set to make a massive $29.5 million in 2020 when he signed the contract, but many things happened since he put the pen to paper. In May 2019 it was reported that he fractured his ankle in a violent fall while recovering from heel surgery. It was later discovered that Cespedes’ fall was actually due to an interaction with a wild boar on his ranch.

The boar incident was a breach of Cespedes’ contract with the Mets and therefore they restructured his 2020 salary. Cespedes’ base salary was dropped from $29.5 million to $6 million.

Although that decrease was a massive one, Cespedes still had a chance to make a lot of it up through incentives. By starting on the Opening Day roster, his 2020 salary would have escalated to $11 million. From there he would have earned bonuses for reaching a set number of plate appearances. Had he accumulated 650 plate appearances by the end of the season, he would had taken home 15 separate plate-appearance bonuses for a total of $9.75 million.

If Cespedes really had a special year, he could have earned even more. He had incentives in his restructured contract for making the All-Star team ($500,000), winning a Gold Glove ($750,000), winning a Silver Slugger award ($750,000), winning the World Series MVP ($500,000), winning the LCS MVP ($500,000), and winning the League MVP award ($1 million for first-place, $250,000 for second-place, or $100,000 for third-place).

To sum it up, heading into the 2020 season Cespedes had a chance to redeem himself. That is however, until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

By the time MLB games started, Cespedes had no chance of making anywhere near what he could have in incentives if the 2020 season wasn’t shortened. Also his base salary that was reduced from $29.5 million to $6 million, was further reduced to $2.22 million since the players received prorated salaries for the 60-game season.

It was for this reason that many shared opinions similar to David Lennon of Newsday that Cespedes opting out was due to more than COVID-related reasons.

Regardless of his true intentions, his entire contract situation with the Mets did not leave either side happy and it’s hard to imagine he would give the Mets a hometown discount to return.

Where does all this leave Cespedes then heading into 2021? As mentioned before he did not play enough in 2020 to warrant any significant money. It’s more likely that he would get a minor league deal from a team than a multi-year MLB deal. If Cespedes does indeed receive a MLB deal, expect it to be for one year and in low seven-figure range.

Recommendation

A reunion between the Mets and Cespedes should not happen nor will it likely happen. The two sides have burnt bridges and don’t exactly need each other at this point in time.

Cespedes’ boar incident did not sit well with the organization and fans, especially with how much money he was owed. At the same time Cespedes couldn’t have been thrilled after having to agree to a restructured contract, but at least there was hopes of making some of that money back.

After the 2020 season was shortened to 60 games, Cespedes had little to play for in regards to money compared to what he was expecting. There was no reason to risk injury or contracting COVID-19.

Cespedes was in his right to opt out, but the way he did so was not appreciated by many. Unlike other players who informed their teams the proper way, Cespedes did not show up to the Mets game on August 2 and then had his agent inform the team of his decision later in that game. Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen just added to the debacle by releasing a statement prior to the game that caused confusion and fear throughout the baseball world.

Both sides ended things in awkward fashion and it is highly unlikely the two sides will ever reunite. The Mets will need a lot of help going into 2021, but an aging outfielder with an injury history who left on poor terms is not the way to help solve their problems this offseason.