15 worst free agent signings in Mets history

14) NY Mets worst free agent signing: Yoenis Cespedes

The Yoenis Cespedes trade in 2015 is easily one of the best in franchise history. It’s a top-fiver for sure. But the free agent deal with him backfired completely.

No, not the first free agent deal. After the 2015 season was complete, the Mets signed Cespedes to a three-year deal worth $75 million. The problem was that it included an opt-out after the first year. Cespedes had a great year and chose to use it. Back in the free agent pool, he ended up with an even bigger contract. This time, it was a four-year deal worth $110 million. Oh boy.

It was during this contract that all of the funny business happened. Cespedes missed half of the 2017 campaign but played well when he was on the field. In 2018, he opened the year on the Mets but more injuries began to pop up and he would end the year with only 38 total appearances.

The entire 2019 campaign was a wash and in 2020 he returned for only eight games before opting out of the season. And like that, the Cespedes era was over.

There were plenty of weird moments with Cespedes in those four years. His heels took turns getting injured. Who can forget him allegedly getting attacked by a wild boar on his farm? The Mets had to sign Cespedes at the time. Unfortunately, it became one of their worst decisions.