New York Mets: Buyer beware with Yoenis Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes‘ tenure with the New York Mets could not have ended on a worse note. He had parlayed an excellent 2016 campaign into a four year deal worth $110 million, a contract that the Mets had hoped would lock in their powerful middle of the order bat. Instead, that contract turned into a disaster, culminating with Cespedes disappearing during the 2020 season before opting out.

But now, Cespedes is on the comeback trail. And somehow, teams are still intrigued by the mercurial outfielder, as 11 different franchises had representatives at his showcase on Tuesday. Interestingly, six of those teams were National League franchises.

Yoenis Cespedes’ end with New York Mets should be warning

As the designated hitter is not yet coming to the NL, it is difficult to see why those teams would be interested in Cespedes. He has not appeared in the field since 2018 when he spent 35 games in left. In that time, he cost the Mets three runs as his once stellar defense had started to fall off.

With two years having elapsed in that time, it is difficult to imagine that his defense has had a marked improvement. Cespedes is now 35 years old and is coming off of a multitude of health issues, including injuries to his ankle and heels.

He has also had essentially almost three years off from the majors, his eight game stint in 2020 notwithstanding. Cespedes did not exactly shower himself in glory during that stint, posting a .161/.235/.387 batting line with two homers and a double in his 34 plate appearances, drawing two walks while striking out 15 times.

But there is always a chance that Cespedes can turn back the clock, at least for one year. That is what those teams in attendance have to be hoping for, although the way his time with the Mets ended should be a giant red flag.

Even though his time with the New York Mets had a disastrous ending, teams are still interested in Yoenis Cespedes. In his case, buyer beware.