Cespedes staying with Mets, agrees four-year $110 million deal

Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the New York Mets bats against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning during their National League Wild Card game at Citi Field on October 5, 2016 in New York City. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP

Yoenis Cespedes has agreed a four-year $110 million (103.3 million euros) deal which will seem him remain at the New York Mets, reports said Tuesday, ending speculation about the Cuban slugger’s future after he earlier opted for free agency.

Rival clubs across Major League Baseball led by the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers had been put on alert after Cespedes walked away from $47 million guaranteed after using his opt-out clause to head to the open market.

However the uncertainty was brought to a swift conclusion on Tuesday when Cespedes accepted a deal from the Mets which will make him the highest-paid outfielder in baseball.

Cespedes had come close to leaving the Mets last year, but remained with the club after failing to garner significant offers.

The Cuban was a key figure in the Mets’ World Series challenge in 2015 and helped the club reach the playoffs in 2016.

This year he hit 31 home runs and drove in 86 runs in 132 appearances despite a niggling right quad injury.

Under the new deal, Cespedes will receive $22.5 million in his first year followed by $29 million, $29 million and $29.5 million.

The Mets had earlier re-signed second baseman Neil Walker to a one-year qualifying offer this month.