Yoenis Cespedes has not played in a major league baseball game in 511 days…and counting. He has gone 583 days without playing in back to back games, and it is safe to say he will not earn the $29.5 million he is due in 2020. Both the New York Mets and Cespedes agreed on a restructured contract that will pay him less, but allow him to earn more money should he reach certain milestones.
.@martinonyc with the latest on the Yoenis Cespedes…from his flight home to New York ???? pic.twitter.com/V6NS5ys1tt
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 13, 2019
This restructuring has to do with the non-baseball related injury he suffered on his ranch earlier in the year. The amount both sides agreed on is much less than the close to $30 million he was expecting to earn. Cespedes was handed a 4-year/$110 million dollar contract after the 2016 season, but has barely been on the field for it. He is hitting .282/.343/.525 with 26 homers and 71 RBIs during the deal but it has only been in 119 games.
Cespedes Future in NY?
He has become a forgotten man in the Mets outfield, replaced by the likes of Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis, and Michael Conforto. Cespedes spent the last two seasons fixing calcification on both of his heels. Cespedes has progressed to taking batting practice and running, but there is no exact timetable on his return.
What roles will Yoenis Céspedes and Jed Lowrie play for the 2020 Mets? pic.twitter.com/dL0g2RMI2B
— SNY (@SNYtv) December 10, 2019
The Mets were $1.7 million away from being in the luxury tax, so this move has huge ramifications for the Mets moves this season. It could allow them to add an arm like Dellin Betances or Daniel Hudson for the back of the bullpen.
As for Cespedes, he wants to play again, but there is no reason to give him a spot on this roster. If he participates in Spring Training, he will have to prove all over again what his worth truly is.