How next Mets regime can avoid another Yoenis Cespedes mess There are many lessons the Mets’ future president of baseball operations can l...
There are many lessons the Mets’ future president of baseball operations can learn from this current Mets mess.
Here is the biggest: Don’t bow to public pressure. Do what is best for your team and have vision.
When I asked assistant GM John Ricco Monday if the Mets were aware of Yoenis Cespedes’ heel issues before gifting him a four-year, $110 million contract he answered: “Yeah, it’s something he’s had. It was in the medical records, we were aware of it when we traded for him and when then we signed him. It’s something he has been able to manage through the treatment, the anti-inflammatories, the stretching and the orthotics to this point and I guess what we are going to find out is whether he is not able to manage it that way anymore. Until we know that we will continue to manage it the way we’ve been doing that.’’
So the Mets were well aware Cespedes ha d significant heel issues before they signed him after the 2016 season, a move made by Sandy Alderson and ownership.
They gave all that money to an aging slugger who had a history of being difficult to handle â€" partly because everyone wanted Cespedes signed.
The media was pushing for it, the public was pushing for it â€" but they did not know anything about the heel issues.
The Mets were not creative enough to use that $110 million in a different way. They fell in love with the free-agent-to-be-version of Cespedes.
This is a much different Cespedes the Mets are dealing with these days, and if his heel problems are as significant as Cespedes says they are â€" Monday he was examined by specialists to get some real answers â€" he has no alternative than to get the surgery that he said will keep him out eight to 10 months because he sure isn’t managing it well now.
The Mets not only signed Ce spedes to that huge deal despite red flags, they let him run around doing 900-pound squats in his team-blessed workouts and all that only made his hip, legs, heels issues worse.
That has to be one of the most Mets things ever.
As a result, the Mets are left with half a Cespedes in that he plays only half the time, when things are going well, and less than half when they aren’t. Cespedes played in just 81 games last year and this year he has been on the field for 38 games.
Over the last two seasons and a possible 259 games, Cespedes has played in 119.
You are not getting the bang for your $110 million.
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It all comes down to this for Yoenis Cespedes
Whether Yoenis Cespedes returns to the Mets lineup this season... This fateful decision is also a reason not to trade Jac ob deGrom. That decision can’t be made now because who knows what you will get in return.The next boss must use this as a case study in how to deal with the Wilpons and with public pressure and the media.
Mickey Callaway has to live with the fading superstar. Callaway, who mentioned once again it was his mistake in how he handled the questions about Cespedes on Saturday, was asked how challenging it has been to deal with this situation.
“It’s tough on the player,’’ Callaway said. “It will make some more work for our training staff, it will make some more questions about who might play that day so we have to have more talks with guys the night before to be prepared to come and play but I think Ces would be worth it. We saw what he did the other night when he was in there and he helped us to win a ballgame.’’
Cespedes homered and singled Friday in the 7-5 win over the Yankees, but by the eighth inning could not run to first and barely was able to walk back to the dugout.
“You have to do whatever you have to do to win so we are more than happy to do all those things and do the extra work,†Callaway said, “because we know in the end Ces will be worth it.’’
In no way are the Mets getting close to their money’s worth.
Source: Google News US Sports | Netizen 24 United States
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