Outfielder had hinted earlier MVP was top goal, not World Series
“We know we can win a World Series,” he said.
The 31-year-old Cespedes looks the part of a superstar who can literally carry a club during a pennant chase. His chiseled body is more massive and pronounced than ever, a product of dedication and his early arrival at the complex’s nearby training facility.
“I’ve been working on trying to keep my legs healthy and strong. Any injury I’ve had has usually been with my legs,” said Cespedes, who missed time last season with a quadriceps injury. “I’ve worked on that so I can last throughout the season. I definitely feel bigger.”
His mental comfort settled in once he put his name on a four-year, $110 million contract the Mets offered in late November after he opted out of his New York deal earlier in the month.
Now, after being shipped from Oakland to Boston to Detroit to New York in his first four years, the twotime All-Star knows Citi Field will be home for a long time.
“I think your mind is really like the fundamental basis of this game. Just knowing that I’m going to be here for a while is just one less thing on my mind,” Cespedes said.
Michael Conforto might be in the outfield beside Cespedes to start the season. Conforto could break camp with the Mets due to center fielder Juan Lagares’s left oblique injury suffered Saturday.
The 24-year-old Conforto, who would be the third lefty-hitting outfielder on the roster, enjoys watching Cespedes play and admires his approach.
“His work ethic this year is off the charts,” Conforto said. “He’s taken a leadership role. He’s all about having fun out there and making plays. And he’s a fun-loving guy. He’s got his own ranch and works on his own property.”
“He’s really one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met,” he said.