Yoenis Cespedes and the New York Mets have agreed to a $110m, four-year contract, a source has told the Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement is subject to Cespedes successfully completing a physical.
The 31-year-old Cespedes gets a full no-trade provision as part of the agreement. The deal’s $27.5m average annual value ties former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for the second-highest among position players, trailing only Miguel Cabrera’s $29.2m with Detroit. A two-time All-Star, Cespedes gets $22.5m in 2017, $29m in each of the following two seasons and $29.5m in 2020.
Acquired by the Mets from Detroit at the July trade deadline in 2015, Cespedes became a free agent a year ago, agreed to a $75m, three-year deal with the Mets and then opted out after one season and $27.5m.
Cespedes has given the Mets’ offense a shot in the arm since his arrival. They average 4.6 runs per game when he plays, and 4.0 when he is absent. Their record stands at 106-74 when he starts, and a less than impressive 18-23 when he is not.
