LISTEN: Mike Francesa Says Mets Must Pony Up To Bring Back Cespedes
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It is imperative that the Mets re-sign Yoenis Cespedes, WFAN's Mike Francesa said Thursday.
Cespedes will reportedly opt out of the final two years of the three-year, $75 million contract he signed last January and hit the open market.
MORE: 6 Possible Replacements Should Yoenis Cespedes Leave The Mets
"I think they've learned and they have to understand that there's no shortcut for them around this one," Francesa said at the start of his show. "This is the guy they need to build on. This is the guy who has proved he can play here."
Francesa added that he believes it would take a four-year, $120 million offer for the Mets to lock up the 31-year-old outfielder.
"He likes it here," Francesa said. "He likes New York. He can play in New York. He loves the golf courses here."
In his first full season with the Mets, Cespedes batted .280 with 31 homers and 86 RBIs.
"I don't think you can risk going for a guy like a (Jose) Bautista or an (Edwin) Encarnacion or somebody like that and think you can go get him on the cheap or get him cheaper and line him up, because you don't know if that guy will perform here, and he will not have had the impact that Cespedes has had on this club," Francesa said. "He's shown you he can carry this team. ... He right now doesn't have a match. There is not another guy to take his place.
"It is completely imperative in my mind that they sign him. I don't care if they have to go overboard to do it. Once in a while, that has to happen."
To listen to the full segment, in which Francesa also discusses Game 2 of the World Series, click on the audio player above.
