CLEVELAND _ Let the Yoenis Cespedes Watch begin.
With the World Series finishing Wednesday night, the Mets outfielder can exercise the opt-out clause in his contract on Saturday, thus sending him back into free agency as he was a year ago.
Cespedes, 31, has long been expected to opt out of his deal. In 132 games for the Mets this season, he hit .280 with 31 homers and 86 RBIs. The right-handed-hitting slugger enters the winter as one of the top available bats in a market that could bring the long-term contract he has sought. Cespedes could be positioned to receive a five-year deal worth upward of $20 million per season.
The Mets paid a premium to bring back Cespedes last offseason, with a uniquely structured three-year, $75-million deal that included the player-friendly opt-out after his first season.
Cespedes made $27.5 million in the 2016 season. By opting out, he is walking away from $47.5 million in guaranteed money the next two seasons figuring that he can do better on the open market.
The Mets hope to retain Cespedes, who has been an offensive catalyst since his arrival at the 2015 trade deadline. But like last season, they will face major hurdles, including a market that could drive up Cespedes' price.
