Mets: Yoenis Cepedes went from GOAT to goat in less than three years

It took less than three years for New York Mets slugger Yoenis Cespedes to go from the GOAT to a goat.

The lifespan of an MLB trade for a veteran player does not typically last very long. The situation with the New York Mets and Yoenis Cespedes is a little different as it involves a re-signing, opt out, and another re-signing.

Cespedes has been reincarnated as a member of the Mets several times now. During this time, he has gone from being the GOAT to becoming a goat.

When he first joined New York, fans fell in love almost immediately. Without him, the Mets wouldn’t have gotten to the 2015 World Series. His hot August and September lifted them over the Washington Nationals. It also didn’t hurt that they were literally choking each other in the dugout.

At the time, it seemed like the romance would never die.

In his first full year with the Mets during the 2016 season, Cespedes put together an All-Star campaign complete with 31 home runs and 86 RBI. He used this performance to opt out from his contract and get an even better deal in the offseason. Since then, there hasn’t been much love between Cespedes and the fans.

More from Rising Apple

• NY Mets Free Agent Retrospective: Daniel Murphy becomes an enemy
• NY Mets: 1 major award you didn’t realize the team has never won
• NY Mets: Trade market for starting pitchers feels non-existent
• NY Mets prospect Eric Orze has the stuff to become a future closer
• NY Mets Rumors: 1 big threat to steal 2 Flushing free agents

Cespedes played in only 81 games in 2017 due to injury. This year, he has missed more than half of their games. Now that we know he may need season-ending surgery for a heel issue which has bothered him for years, he’s unlikely to reach last year’s total.

The Mets aren’t playing for anything more than glory. Even a goosebump could send their star players to the disabled list. We can argue that anyone with even the slightest of nagging injury should sit. And we will.

Cespedes is making $29 million this year which puts him on the list of the highest annual contracts in MLB list. It is not money he has earned while wearing the orange and blue. If missed time due to injuries were factored in, he would make a much more modest $13 million or so.

The great thing about being a professional baseball player is the money is guaranteed. It’s the only thing we know for sure each year. How a player will perform is the mystery. How much they take home will not change barring incentives and a few other factors such as a suspension.

We cannot fully blame Cespedes for these injuries. Like REM taught us, everybody hurts sometimes.

The problem is that there’s a lot of cloak and dagger with his injuries. We’ve been told multiple things were wrong with him this year when all along it was apparently his heel. What are fans to think?

The Mets are a mess right now and fans are turning. Less than three years ago, there was a lot more hope. Cespedes was healthy and prepared to lead this team to its first World Series in a decade and a half.

Next: Top five catchers in Mets history

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

As we sit here ready to watch them sell instead of buy, it’s a frustrating reminder of how far this team has dropped.