Cespedes deal calms Panic City

At 3:45 Friday afternoon, Mets fans had had it with this franchise. After the Carlos Gomez debacle, Sandy Alderson was going to whiff worse than a Mets’ batter with the bases loaded. And then news started swirling on social media and amongst news outlets. Cespedes was heading to the Mets for two minor leaguers. Sandy Alderson got back into the box with 2 strikes and knocked it out of the park, much like Wilmer Flores would do later in the evening.

When Yoenis Cespedes puts on his Mets jersey tonight, he will automatically become one of the best if not the best mid-season offensive player acquisition since Mike Piazza in 1998. Carlos Gomez might have been a better fit overall, but no one should be complaining about this trade. This move makes the Mets instantaneously better, by a good measure.

A huge part of this deal vs. the Gomez non-trade is that the Mets will keep Zach Wheeler. That alone makes any pitcher in the Mets’ minor league system expendable. Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa may turn out to be solid major league starters but it was probably never going to be in Queens. You have to give something to get something, and the Mets are getting something fans have been screaming for for weeks: A legit middle of the lineup hitter.

Does this prove that Mets ownership wants to win? Personally, I don’t think they want to lose. I think they want to win on the cheap. Does this move change that sentiment at all? No, it doesn’t. Cespedes is not costing the Mets much the rest of the year, and there is probably zero chance they resign him. But we can worry about all of that another day, because today  there’s a reason to be upbeat and dare I say, optimistic. It is finally about this year, not next.