The Mets got their guy. The club has signed free agent outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a three-year deal, Jon Heyman reports. It’s for $75 million in total with an opt-out after the first year and a no-trade clause, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Heyman notes that if Cespedes opts out after the first year, he’ll earn $27.5 million for the 2016 season.
The Nationals were also reportedly interested in Cespedes along with the Padres, Orioles, and White Sox, each of which could have been one of the “mystery” teams as Jon Heyman put it earlier.
Having Cespedes back in the fold greatly helps the Mets as he is a significant offensive upgrade over Juan Lagares in center field. During the 2015 regular season, Cespedes hit a combined .291/.328/.542 with 35 home runs and 105 RBI between the Tigers and Mets. That included 17 home runs and 44 RBI with the Mets specifically, with all 17 home runs occurring in 31 games between August 12 and September 14.
Earlier this offseason, the Mets acquired second baseman Neil Walker from the Pirates to replace Daniel Murphy, and signed Asdrubal Cabrera to handle shortstop. The defending National League champions have addressed nearly all of their areas of need.