The Post’s Ken Davidoff answers pressing questions after the Mets agreed Friday to a three-year, $75 million deal with Yoenis Cespedes:
Q: With Yoenis Cespedes returning to the Mets, what’s the team’s projected payroll?
A: About $140 million, which brings the team back around its level in 2011 when Sandy Alderson became the general manager. The player budget dipped as low as $85 million in 2014 before climbing to $110 million last year, which ranked them 19th in the industry, according to the Associated Press. This leap should propel the Mets back into the top half.
Q: What does this mean for Juan Lagares?
A: It means he is a part-time player once again, sure to be benched against virtually all right-handed starting pitchers. Against lefties last year, Lagares started in center field and Cespedes shifted to left field.
Lagares is signed through 2019 on an extremely team-friendly contract — he will make a total of $22.5 million over the next four seasons. Because Cespedes probably will opt out of his contract after this coming season, it wouldn’t behoove the Mets to sell low on Lagares after his discouraging 2015. Better to use 2016 to rebuild his body, his psyche and his value.
Q: You raised a point I wanted to explore in there, if you’ll allow me to backtrack.
A: About the payroll?
Q: No, not that far back. About Cespedes starting in center field against righties and in left field against lefties. Will he still be amenable to that? Last year, he was trying to make a good impression as a newcomer and an impending free agent.
A: We’ll find out for sure shortly, yet keep in mind Cespedes once again will be an impending free agent thanks to his opt-out.
Q: What does this do for Alejandro De Aza?
A: It makes him wholly superfluous. The Mets signed him with the idea of platooning the lefty-hitting De Aza and the righty-swinging Lagares in center field. Now, the Mets’ best lineup against right-handers will feature Cespedes, who hits righties better than southpaws even though he bats from the right side, in center field. De Aza basically will hang around as a pinch-hitter and injury reserve. The Mets should at least explore a trade of him.
Q: Who is the backup first baseman?
A: Right now, it’s Wilmer Flores, who has 20 games of first-base experience in the minor leagues and zero games in the majors. Though that doesn’t make him a great fit, look for the Mets to try to make this work — with plenty of Grapefruit League reps at first for Flores — so that they can carry both Flores and Ruben Tejada on their bench.
Q: What sort of economic impact will Cespedes’ signing have on the Mets?
A: It’s nearly impossible to quantify at this point, but rest assured there will be no more talks of fan boycotts for a while. In time, we will try to learn what sort of ticket-sales bump the Mets receive. And keep in mind they already were enjoying the bump from last year’s success — which was fueled significantly by Cespedes.