Keidel: To Mets Fans Skeptical Of Cespedes Signing, Give It A Rest Already
By Jason Keidel
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Despite being born and raised in Manhattan and a Yankees fan since 1977, nearly all my friends are Mets fans.
You don't need to be one to know one, or to know they're a quirky group. Among the montage of Mets devotees, it was hard to find any overly excited about signing Yoenis Cespedes, the aorta of the Mets' heartwarming run to last season's World Series.
The reaction of three Mets fans served as a billboard for the haunted village.
"Still can't believe the Wilpons allowed this to happen," wrote one pal/fan on Facebook. "Even if it's a one-year deal. Of course, Cespedes is going to go off to get that big contract... maybe. Still didn't think this would happen. Lets see what happens this year."
Huh?
"Sure takes the sting outta that Alejandro de Aza signing," wrote another friend on FB.
And last, this from the classic Mets/Jets fan, who sees rain in rainbows.
"We are so used to bad news, it is hard, man. Progress, not perfection," he said this after the Mets agreed to terms with the gifted Cuban outfielder.
What, no ode to Daniel Murphy?
The morbid cynicism would be warranted five years ago, but your Mets just came off a World Series, which, as we all know, they could easily have won. They beat the favored Dodgers and smoked the darling, 97-win Cubs to get there.
This signing serves everyone well. Fans who were put off by Cespedes' postseason slumber don't have to worry about the six-year commitment he originally demanded. If he stays all three years and fails to produce, you don't hemorrhage enough cash to thwart the future. And with his opt-out clause after one year, it's hard to find a player with more incentive to bash the ball than Cespedes.
And doesn't desire mean something? He turned down a reported $110 million from the Washington Nationals to stay here. An ancient argument by jaded Mets fans is that you had to overpay players to play in Queens, a black hole for playoff dreams. Now, at least in this case, the reverse is true. The man took $35 million less to take another bite from the Big Apple.
If he has a monster season and you reach the World Series again, then he was worth it, even if he takes the contractual trap door and flees after the 2016 season. Then maybe you sign him again. Or, if you win the World Series, you thank him for the memories and focus on signing your army of young arms.
But Mets fans are so hurt by this 30-year World Series drought, you assume just a modicum of success means some karmic tax is headed your way. Take this from a Yankees fan, the signing of Cespedes was a great day for the Mets, their friends, and their fans.
Speaking of Yankees fans, when I offered Cespedes a gaggle of Bronx-Bombing Millennials, they said they didn't want this "cancer" in the clubhouse. Yet they had no issue with dealing for Aroldis Chapman, who supposedly busted eight caps into his garage after an alleged squabble with his girlfriend.
Since he wasn't charged, he's innocent, you see. Just peel those bullets out of the man cave and move on. Young Yankees fans are so spoiled it's pointless to even talk about the team.
The Mets slayed several dragons. They improved their ball club by addition and subtracted from the Nationals, who offered Cespedes more money and more years. And they kept him from the Yankees, who are never out of any bidding until someone signs.
The Mets have also bogarted the bold ink from the Yanks, who for 20 years have owned the back page, while allotting little more than Page Six to the team across town.
How often do you enter a season not only as a playoff favorite but also the favorite franchise of Gotham? There will be few algorithms pointing toward pinstripes. The Yankees scored zero runs in their last playoff run. Their starting staff hardly reminds anyone of their cross-town rivals. And they are overly dependent on the ancient A-Rod and Carlos Beltran, along with the oft-injured Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira.
How many Mets fans have speed-dialed WFAN, begging the franchise to make the bold, expensive move that has so long eluded them? You just want a taste of playoff nectar, not have your mail forwarded there. Mission accomplished.
It's a good day to be a Mets fan. If only some of you saw it.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel
