The Mets yesterday signed LF Yoenis Cespedes to a new deal worth $110M over four years, signaling the club "can win now," as win-now, big-market teams "take gambles to capitalize on a moment in time," according to Joel Sherman of the N.Y POST. The Mets "had to sign" Cespedes, "even with all the questions about the long-term investment in a diva." Cespedes' contract averages $27.5M per year, which ties former MLBer Alex Rodriguez for the "most given [to] a free-agent position player and falls only beneath" Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera ($31M) for the "most given on annual average to a position player of any type." Sherman notes Cespedes is "flawed," but he is also a "star whom Met fans in general want to see and wanted retained." The "big piece" of the Mets' offseason is "now in place" (N.Y. POST, 11/30). In N.Y., John Harper writes the Mets were "smart enough to recognize their window to win a championship is now." The Mets are "willing to accept the headache that Cespedes has been on occasion, knowing the contract could make him more of a migraine at times, as the price they have to pay to win a championship." They believe that with their young pitching "likely to be healthy again, they’re primed for a run at a title" (N.Y DAILY NEWS, 11/30). In Newark, Maria Guardado writes while the Mets have been "historically averse to handing out long-term deals, their willingness to spend on Cespedes seems to signal their belief that they're within reach of a championship" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/30). In New Jersey, Bob Klapisch writes the deal is a "win for both sides, even if it means living with Cespedes’ baggage." The Mets are "smart enough to understand the value of going for it" (Bergen RECORD, 11/30). Triple-A PCL Omaha Storm Chasers Owner Gary Green tweeted, "This deal had to happen. @ynscspds is someone who understands what it takes to play in NY." SNY's Steve Gelbs: "Tremendous job by the Mets. Cespedes was the key to everything. They knew that. Got it done without having to go to a 5th year." Mets SS Jose Reyes: "Happy face all around, Céspedes for president... 4 more years!" (TWITTER.com, 11/29).
STAR GAZING: CBSSN's Adam Schein said Cespedes "can be a handful, but he's a mega-star." Schein noted the Mets historically are "frugal and often wrong when it comes to free agents," but this is "right, and the Mets actually acted like a big-market team" ("Time to Schein," CBSSN, 11/29). The N.Y. Daily News' Harper said the Mets are "acting like a New York team, which we've all screamed about over the last several years." But he added, "I don't know if it necessarily puts them in a category of a real big spending team. Payroll is up at a reasonable level now ... but I don't think they're going to act like the Yankees or the Dodgers." The N.Y. Daily News' Bob Raissman said Cespedes arguably is the "biggest star in New York now." The Mets as currently constructed are "a draw" and will "sell tickets and they're going to make money." The N.Y. Daily News' Andy Martino said the Mets' "main takeaway here was, 'He has the star power that's so transcendent and so perfect for us that we're just going to deal with it" ("Daily News Live," SNY, 11/29). SNY's Jon Hein said Cespedes is the one player the Mets "could not afford to lose," and they are "paying the price." Hein: "Ultimately, he is a superstar. He's a superstar that likes playing in New York" ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 11/29). MLB Network's Kevin Millar: "It's New York City, he hits the ball 500 feet. We wait for that, he's a remote stopper. ... He's New York City” (“Intentional Talk,” MLB Network, 11/29).
MONEY WELL SPENT: In N.Y., Kristie Ackert writes Mets GM Sandy Alderson "should be applauded" for working out the deal, "wisely spending the Mets’ money" to put them back in a strong position to compete for a World Series. After years of the team "cutting down its payroll, counting pennies and pinching payroll, some are pointing to this single deal as a sign that the Mets are back to being the big-market, free-spending team they were before Alderson arrived." But the Mets have shown that "even free of their financial issues, they are going to be more 'creative' with their payroll under Alderson’s regime." With Cespedes due to make $22.5M in the first year of his deal, the Mets’ payroll for next season is already at $100.9M on "just eight players." Sources said that the Mets "plan on keeping their payroll" around $140M (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/30). Also in N.Y., Tyler Kepner writes given how "desperately the Mets needed" Cespedes back, the deal "looks reasonable." But the Mets "should not be congratulated too heartily," as the Cespedes deal is "merely what a big-market contender with a bargain rotation is supposed to do." But it "shows that the post-[Bernie] Madoff Mets really are serious, willing to make a sensible gamble on a slugger they now know and trust" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/30). The N.Y. POST's Mike Vaccaro writes under the header, "It's Not Fair To Call The Mets Cheap Anymore." The club's owners "never again have to listen to complaints that they are run like the Willets Point Wal-Mart" (N.Y. POST, 11/30). Finsbury VP and former MLB PR exec Jeff Heckelman: "What else do the Mets need to do to end the narrative that they don't do things? This is 3 straight years of doing things" (TWITTER.com, 11/29). MLB Network's Ron Darling said this is the "most important move" the Mets have made since signing Mike Piazza nearly 20 years ago ("MLB Tonight," MLB Network, 11/29). MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo: “This was the move they had to do. This was the Mets entire off season. When you look around baseball, there just wasn't another guy out there who could impact the Mets offense in the way that Yoenis Cespedes can" ("MLB Now," MLB Network, 11/29).
OFF TO THE RACES: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jared Diamond writes baseball's offseason had been "relatively slow to develop," but yesterday that "changed in a big way" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/30). In DC, Barry Svrluga writes Cespedes' signing has an "impact on the rest of free agency, and it’s interesting that the Mets got this deal done even as the owners and the players’ union try to hammer out" a new CBA. One issue that "needs to be resolved -- whether teams that sign free agents will owe a compensatory draft pick to the player’s former team -- would have affected another team that signed Cespedes" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/30). ESPN's Buster Olney: "The Astros were serious bidders for Yoenis Cespedes. Execs/agents expect the Astros to continue pushing for upgrades" (TWITTER.com, 11/29).
