Although there are two years remaining on his contract, New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes reportedly intends to opt out of his deal following the World Series.
Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the Cuban slugger will pass up $47.5 million over the next two seasons to become a free agent. ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin confirmed the report.
Per Heyman, two anonymous general managers expect Cespedes to land a deal in the neighborhood of $100 million over four years. Heyman added that the Mets and Cespedes have an “open dialogue.”
According to Rubin, however, the Mets are pessimistic about their chances of bringing back the two-time All-Star.
While the 31-year-old missed 30 games this season, he still hit .280 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI, making him by far the most dangerous run producer in New York’s lineup.
The Mets acquired him via trade with the Detroit Tigers in 2015, and he went on to hit .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBI. He earned National League MVP consideration despite playing in just 57 regular-season games for a Mets team that went on to reach the World Series.
Cespedes re-signed with the Mets last offseason despite having plenty of interest from other clubs, and New York can ill afford to lose him. The Mets ranked 26th in MLB in runs scored with him.
The Mets made the playoffs before getting ousted by the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card Game, but a third straight year of postseason baseball may not be in the cards if Cespedes walks.
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