Ex-New York Mets Slugger Yoenis Céspedes to Attempt Baseball Comeback
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The Yo Show is getting a reboot this winter.
According to Francys Romero of MLB, former New York Mets outfielder, Yoenis Céspedes, will play for the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Winter League this year.
Céspedes, 36, has not appeared in a professional game since August 1, 2020 with the Mets. Shortly thereafter, the outfielder opted out of the remainder of the 2020 season, and didn’t latch on with another MLB team for 2021 or 2022.
The eight-year career Céspedes put together saw him play for the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets after defecting from Cuba in 2011.
The Mets acquired Céspedes right down to the wire on trade deadline day in 2015. After joining the team that year, Céspedes helped carry New York to their first National League East title since 2006, and eventually, their first National League pennant since 2000.
After a monstrous second half in 2015 upon joining the Mets where Céspedes launched 17 dingers and had a triple slash of .287/.337/.604, he earned himself a three-year, $75 million contract with an opt out after the first year.
Putting together an All-Star campaign in 2016, Céspedes exercised the opt out in his contract and signed a new four-year, $110 million deal with the Mets.
Things quickly went downhill for the Mets and Céspedes, as he was hampered by injuries and missed most of 2018 and all of 2019 after undergoing surgery to remove calcification on both of his heels.
The icing on the cake, however, was when Céspedes fractured his ankle while recovering from surgery after an encounter with a wild boar on his ranch in Florida. This led to a restructuring of the final year of his contract that ultimately cost him upwards of $15 million.
Céspedes worked out for teams in March of 2021 at a showcase, though no deals materialized for the slugger.
In April of this year, it was announced that Céspedes will participate in Old Timers’ Day at Citi Field on Aug. 27 along with many other fan favorites of the past.
Céspedes’ younger brother, Yoelqui, is the Chicago White Sox No. 4 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
As for the Yoenis, he will look to begin the second wind of his career starting in October, when the Dominican Winter League will begin play.
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