Mets strike it rich as Ces takes fewer years

In the end, after all the hand-wringing and name-calling among the masses, Sandy Alderson and the Mets played their hand in the Yoenis Cespedes poker game exceptionally well. That being said, it took a decision that was nothing short of astonishing on Cespedes’ part for Alderson to win the pot.

By accepting the Mets’ three-year deal for $75 million rather than a fiveyear offer from Nationals for at least $100 million, and probably a little more had he gone that route, Cespedes left more money on the table than you ever see from a free agent.

Yes, he has an opt-out after one year, which could put him in prime position to cash in on a thin freeagent market next winter, and the Mets are fine with that. All along their ideal scenario was a one-year deal that would assure Cespedes would be highly motivated, and that could turn out to be the case here.

Still, it’s a gamble that few players take, one that apparently resonated with Cespedes for a couple of reasons:

First, as I wrote on Friday, he truly does love playing in New York and wanted to stay here, in part because the Latin culture made him far more comfortable than the other three cities in which he had played, and in part because he sees himself as a superstar made for the New York stage.

Secondly, the shorter team deal brings some ego-gratification — no small factor, according to a person who knows Cespedes well. That is, he felt disrespected by the lack of long-term offers this winter, more so that he couldn’t get a deal to match the six years and $132.75 million Justin Upton received from the Tigers.

But by taking the three-year deal at an average of $25 million per year — including a rather staggering $27.5 million in 2016 — he is making significantly more per season than either Upton or Jason Heyward, which saves some face for both him and his agents. “That was hugely important to him,’’ said a source close to the situation. “He needed to feel wanted, and $25 million a year does that for him.’’

As for the Mets, their offer turned out to be higher than I thought they’d go, even on the shortterm deal they wanted. After all, there’s no guarantee that Cespedes opts out next winter, depending on what type of season he has, so they could be on the hook for that $75 million over three years.

Whatever the length turns out to be, though, their payroll in 2016 goes from somewhere around $115 million to $140 million, the highest it has been by far since the Madoff scandal.

So much as it may kill them, fans have to give the Wilpons credit for green-lighting Alderson’s decision and taking on a huge salary almost nobody thought they’d be willing to absorb.

Of course, it’s fair to say it took some extenuating circumstances to make it happen. For one, I believe the outrage from Mets fans on the issue did push ownership, and perhaps even Alderson, to get a deal done, especially after Cespedes made it clear he wanted to stay.

That and the emergence of the Nationals offering a five-year deal was a potentially toxic combination. The Mets surely will never admit it, but the thought of Cespedes playing for their top division rival at the moment, and repeatedly bringing his swagger to Citi Field, had to make them uncomfortable.

The outrage among the fans would only grow, and no doubt make its presence felt every time Cespedes showed up at Citi, all the more so if he were to have a big year and lead the Nationals to the NL East title.

Somehow, then, a lot of pieces seemed to fall perfectly into place for Cespedes to remain a Met. It was only a week ago that Alderson told me he only saw it happening if the slugger “falls in our lap.’’

He didn’t define that exactly but it sounded to me like he was only interested if Cespedes were willing to take a one-year deal. And that might turn out to be what this is, if indeed Cespedes opts out next winter. Still, in the end I think Alderson and the Mets extended themselves financially more than they anticipated in order for this to happen.

Of course, in the end, did they really have any choice?

Had they allowed Cespedes to slip away over a few million here and there after he expressed his willingness to leave all that Nationals’ money on the table, essentially declaring his love for the Mets, fans might well have stormed the Citi Field offices.

Instead, Cespedes is back, the Mets have a championship-caliber ballclub going into 2016, and remarkably, outrage has been replaced by peace, love and understanding.