Mets, Wilpons, doing their Best to Shed the ‘Cheap’ Label; Bring Back Cespedes

ANTHONY GRUPPUSO/USA TODAY SPORTS

Mets fans were fearful that this offseason of their favorite baseball team would go much the way of the 2000 squad.

A squad that watched the New York Yankees dance all over Shea in October and then the Mets responded with an awful offseason that saw Cy Young contender Mike Hampton replaced with Kevin Appier and the departure of Rickey Henderson with no replacement.

The Mets watched fan-favorite Daniel Murphy leave town, and thought Yoenis Cespedes would leave town as well – most everyone in baseball did.

This was especially the case when reports surfaced that Cespedes was en-route to get five and possibly six year offers from team like Detroit and most noticeably, and fear-invoking for Mets’ fans, the Nationals who would both improve their team and hurt the Mets in the process.

Then reports surfaced that the Mets “refused” to offer more than three years and the anger in Mets’ supporters began to erupt via social media – and rightfully so.

The critique of the Wilpons, Alderson, and the Mets organization in general, up to last night had been fair much in the way criticizing Peyton Manning’s inability to win the big game had been fair until he won his Super Bowl.

The Mets, with some creative negotiation led by Sandy Alderson, got what they wanted at their price when they got Cespedes to agree to a deal for three years with an opt out clause, a bit of a hometown discount, but also a bit of an NBA like contract like Lebron James signed in Cleveland last season.

So, calling the Mets lucky, cheap, etc. is still fair, but for now, the team and their GM Sandy Alderson deserve some credit and the benefit of the doubt.