In December 2016, the Mets rewarded their offensive star with a 4 year $110 million contract. This was great for Cespedes but horrible for the Mets. First he pulled a hamstring. This aggravation continued until his season ended in August. He only played in 81 games, hit .292 and 17 home runs in half of the season. The next year he only played in 38 games getting surgery in both heels disabling him for 10 months.
While preparing for the 2019 season, Cespedes fractured his right ankle at his ranch and missed the whole season. In 2020, Cespedes played in only 8 games informing the Mets that he was opting out of the season.
The Mets have renegotiated Cespedes’ contract downward. It was discovered that he broke his ankle when he was supposed to be rehabbing and was involved in “non-baseball” activities. The reduced salary is complicated. The Mets have succeeded in lowering what they owe Cespedes. They may even save up to $30 million. That doesn’t make up for the fact that he has not played a full season since he signed the contract 4 years ago. He played 81 games in year one – 38 in year two – none in year three and 8 in year 4. He hit 28 home runs in the four years with a total of 75 RBIs. For a player who was supposed to be the major weapon in the Met’s offense it has been nothing but a total failure.
