I don’t know what to say. I have never seen anything like this, and that’s saying a lot in a year like 2020.
The Mets are playing an early-afternoon game today, and announced just before first pitch that they flat-out don’t know where outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is:
BREAKING: The Mets don't know where Yoenis Cespedes is.
Team statement: "As of game time, Yoenis Céspedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence. Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful."
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 2, 2020
Again, this is bizarre in the extreme, even for 2020, even for the Mets, and even for Yoenis Cespedes. I just hope the guy is OK. He finally returned to action this year after missing two seasons with surgery on both of his heels, plus an injury involving wild boar.
Today the Mets also traded for outfielder Billy Hamilton, formerly of the Giants. Not sure if there’s a connection there. Man, this is just so weird.
UPDATE: I’m not sure how you could know this while also not knowing where he is, but I guess it’s a positive:
Mets have learned they have no reason to believe Cespedes’ safety is at risk, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2020
UPDATE 2: Mid-game, the Mets GM provides the update:
Van Wagenen says Mets had no idea that Yoenis Cespedes was opting out of the season.
Cespedes' agent called the Mets and told them near the end of the game.
"We support every player's right to make this type of decision," Van Wagenen said. "It was surprising, without question."
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 2, 2020
I support any player who decides to opt out this year, and I still don’t quite understand the point of the Mets’ statement earlier (other than, perhaps, to publicly shame Cespedes for not showing up?). But I do suspect the Mets were pissed by the way this played out, especially given their previous challenges with Cespedes.
The Mets had sent security to investigate Céspedes' hotel room this morning when they could not find him. Neither he nor his belongings were there. Brodie Van Wagenen says he found out only later in the day that Céspedes had left the team.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 2, 2020
In any case, the decision is now in: Cespedes didn’t show up because he’s all done this year.
UPDATE 3: This is going to turn into a very ugly divorce:
https://t.co/f6Y7LnNyT3 With @NYPost_Mets Cespedes told the #Mets thru agent he left for Covid-19 reasons, but also twice already this yr he had confronted team officials to ask if he was being benched to keep him from reaching his bonus provisions.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) August 2, 2020