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Yoenis Cespedes is playing for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic

By Jake Oliver

Aug 1, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) walks to the dugout after an at bat against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 1, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) walks to the dugout after an at bat against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The former MLB All-Star, Yoenis Cespedes, is back in baseball after missing multiple years by playing for Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Cuban native is 37 years old and hasn’t played in the MLB since 2020. However, after taking 2021 off, Cespedes has played 12 games in the Dominican Winter League with only nine hits in 44 at-bats. He has two home runs and six RBI so his great power is clearly still with him.

Yoenis Cespedes’ ticket back to the MLB is in the World Baseball Classic

Cespedes played in the MLB from 2012 to 2020 except for 2019 when he missed the entire season due to an injury. He was best known initially for being an exciting player with tremendous arm and power talent. However, as he grew older and more expensive, he was not the same player. After being shuffled between the A’s, Red Sox, and Tigers from 2014-15, he was finally traded the last time from the Tigers to the Mets.

His Mets tenure is where he had the most team success aside from initial player success with the A’s. After the Mets acquired him, he helped lead them to the World Series where they would lose to the Royals. Over his 57 games, he hit .287 with a .942 OPS and 17 home runs along with 44 RBI. After that year, he hit free agency only to re-sign with the Mets on a large 5-year deal worth over $100 million.

That deal proved to be extremely awful for the team as he dealt with many injuries. Out of a potential 648 games from 2016-19, he played in a mere 251. That’s not quite worth 100+ million dollars unless you’re Steve Cohen. Of course, Cohen didn’t own the Mets then. This albatross of a contract weighed the Mets’ payroll down and gave the team the ability to avoid signing free agents.

He was an All-Star in 2016 when he hit 31 of his 57 home runs during this time. In 2020, after returning from a broken ankle suffered on a ranch, he played in eight games and hit only .161 although he at least two home runs in only five hits. The awful part was he struck out 15 times to only two walks. After that season, no one heard from him again until now. Perhaps he’s healthy and ready to swing the bat as a DH once more. Just not with the Mets. Welcome back to the professional baseball ranks, Yoenis Cespedes!

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Yoenis Cespedes is on the comeback trail and it starts with playing for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic, and from there, who knows?

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