The New York Mets traded for left fielder Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline, and he has been nothing short of a revelation in Queens. Cespedes has played 44 games for the Metropolitans and is leading the way toward a National League East title with 17 home runs and 42 RBI in that span.
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However, Cespedes says he might not be back with New York next season, which is his fourth club in the last two seasons after being bounced around from the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and now the Mets. The Cuban claims that it is “50/50” whether he returns, although he does have one certainty in his mind when his contract expires at the end of this season, per ESPN.
"“My only hope is to stay healthy,” Cespedes said. “I’m not thinking about a contract, but I do know that I will be looking for a contract that is six years or more, has to be six years or more. We’ll see what happens.”"
The Cuban sensation is 30 years old but should have no issue getting a six-year deal for well over $100 million. Without a salary cap in place, a team will take a chance on Cespedes retaining most of his talent throughout the deal.
Cespedes also talked about the ongoing controversy regarding the NL Most Valuable Player award. While Bryce Harper has put together an incredible campaign for the Washington Nationals, the franchise has severely disappointed and will not make the playoffs despite having Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fisher in the starting rotation.
"“You cannot take credit away from Harper,” Cespedes said. “I will only play some 40-odd games here and he has played the entire season and has very good numbers. My opinion is that would be the fairest thing, he who played the whole the season (within the NL) should win (MVP).”"
Frankly, the award is for the player who is most valuable to his team. Before Cespedes arrived, the Mets’ offense was a nightly punchline. Now, it is the most formidable attack in baseball, in large part to the highlight reel that Cespedes provides each game.