This should have been a good day for the New York Mets. They had a nice 7-5 win over the Oakland A’s, where every move seemed to work for manager Terry Collins. No one got hurt, especially those on the trading block and Jerry Blevins had a five out save, so maybe there will be someone in the bullpen to close if and when Addison Reed moves onto a contender.
But none of these storylines is the lead for the New York Mets tonight, because out of the blue, right before the game, Susan Slusser in the San Francisco Chronicle wrote a story on Yoenis Cespedes – in a rare English interview – saying how he wanted to finish his career in Oakland, where he first started, and also how Bob Melvin was the best manager he ever had.
Of course, being in New York -with the Mets not doing so hot -this was interpreted as “get me out of here, because Terry Collins is terrible.”
Things just don’t get easy in Met-land.
“What I was chatting about the reporter in Oakland is that it would be nice if I got to play my very last year in Oakland, because that was the team I started with,” Cespedes said after the game through interpreter Melissa Rodriguez. “As far as their manager, he is a great manager, but that does not take away my relationship with Terry. That does not mean, I don’t get along with Terry and I don’t respect him.”
So, there you have it. Cespedes signed a four-year extension for $110 million before the season. He has always felt very comfortable in blue and orange, ever since the Mets acquired him at the deadline.
And since, the Mets essentially signed Cespedes as a free agent twice in the past two off-seasons, why should this be a story?
“Like when I said when I got here,” Cespedes said. “This is my home and this is my team.”
A little losing may do this to a club. Cespedes has not performed up to snuff this season, suffering a hamstring injury, which kept him out for most of May and is batting .271 with nine homers and 22 RBI, well off his averages as a Met.
Because of his mercurial nature, you may wonder if his love for New York soured since April and this is a plea to get back to Oakland.
But, remember Cespedes is only 31 and will if he plays through his whole contract will be 35 by the time his four-year deal ends. Although many careers end in their mid-30s now, Cespedes probably thinks he will continue to play after this deal and sure, why not Oakland? After all, he started his career there.
Cespedes because he likes Melvin, doesn’t mean he hates Collins. He seems to like them both.
So, this is a non-story but something that needs to be discussed during a dreary season. Don’t expect a Cespedes trade next week and don’t expect him to go back to Oakland, which is trying to trade its ace Sonny Gray.
As non-story dumpster fires go, this is one of them.
Time to move along.
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