Page 19 - Aruba Today
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SPORTS A19
Thursday 4 February 2016
Cespedes says staying with Mets always was his preference
RONALD BLUM lion, five-year deal that in- New York Mets Yoenis Cespedes holds a bat as he poses in the clubhouse after a baseball press
AP Baseball Writer cluded deferred money. conference at CitiField in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Cespedes agreed to a $75 million,
NEW YORK (AP) — Yoenis “There were several teams three-year deal with the team.
Cespdes says he chose that wanted to give me
happiness over more dol- five years,” Cespedes said. Associated Press
lars. New York, shaken by un-
Of course, the lower offer derperforming players with
was a $75 million, three- large salaries in the 2000s,
year contract that kept him refused to consider a con-
with the New York Mets. tract of that length.
“It’s not always about the “I don’t think it had specifi-
amount of money being cally to do with Yoenis,” Al-
offered,” he said through derson said. “I think it had
a translator Wednesday in as much to do with just the
his first public comments history of long-term deals,
about his Jan. 22 decision. both generally throughout
“It’s about wanting to be in baseball as well as in re-
a place you want to play cent years with the Mets.”
in, that you’re happy in. Cespedes was driving in
And as you can see, this is his Florida farm when his
just what happened in that agent told him the deal
case.” with the Mets had been
Still, the slugging outfielder agreed to.
has the right to terminate “It was a big relief for me,”
his contract after one sea- he said.
son and $27.5 million, then Cespedes is expected to
become a free agent see time in center as well as
once again. left, relegating Juan Lagar-
Acquired from Detroit on es to mostly a backup and
July 31, Cespedes had 17 late-game defensive role.
homers and 44 RBIs for the With Cespedes’ return, Al-
Mets, helping the team derson said Michael Con-
reach its first World Series forto could be used in right
since 2000. Fans at Citi Field field during spring training.
likely expect him to keep Playing time could be limit-
up that pace. ed for outfielder Alejandro
“From my first day when I de Aza, signed as a free
came last season after the agent.
trade, that very first day ... While the Mets haven’t
the fans showed incredible pursued a possible trade,
support, my teammates Alderson said interest from
were so welcoming, as well other teams during spring
as the full Mets organiza- training was conceivable.
tion,” the 30-year-old Ces- “We’re happy to have an-
pedes said. “And I think other left-handed hitter
that was what encour- that hits well against right-
aged me to make the de- handed pitching, and we’ll
cision to come back.” figure it out,” Alderson said.
New York treated Ces- Cespedes’ deal raised the
pedes as a newly signed Mets payroll to about $140
player, showing video million, its highest level
highlights of his perfor- since 2011.
mance last season after he Alderson said the team
entered the news confer- likely would not agree to
ence. any more major league
Chief operating officer contracts with free agents
Jeff Wilpon and general during the offseason,
manager Sandy Alderson which probably precludes
presented Cespedes with the return of reliever Tyler
his No. 52 jersey, which Clippard.
fit snugly over his street Mets home attendance
clothes. The Mets gave him increased to nearly 2.57
his own hashtag: “GotYo- million last year, its highest
Back.” since the club drew more
Since starting his big league than 3 million during Citi
career in 2012, the Cuban Field’s inaugural season in
star played for Oakland, 2009. Executive vice presi-
Boston and Detroit before dent and chief revenue of-
landing with the Mets. ficer Lou DePaoli said sea-
Washington was among son ticket equivalents had
the clubs that pursued doubled since this point last
Cespedes and was said to year, although he would
have offered a $110 mil- not specify a figure.q
