Since Cespedes has put on the Mets uniform he has been incredible. Undisputedly the best mid-season pickup in the MLB, and arguably the most impactful deadline trade in the past decade. In a Mets uniform Cespedes has put up a batting average of .310 on base percentage of .355 and a fantastic slugging percentage of .684. Every major league team that has traded Cespedes in the past, is currently in last place. He really does make a difference.
That on it's own. I believe speaks for the reasoning in which the Mets need to re-sign Cespedes. However coming up with the money to pay the slugger could be difficult. The Mets have had a lot of controversy with Matt Harvey in the past weeks, pushing fans away from the once lovable Dark Knight. After this extravaganza, Harvey has lost a lot of fans, which has effected his game on the field. Is it possible that Queens (Gotham) could not be the right fit for the Dark Knight anymore? If you were to ask a Mets fan who they would rather keep right now, Cespedes or Harvey, I strongly believe that the answer would be Cespedes (wish I could do a poll, respond to my unscientific poll on the right).
Cespedes not only improves the Mets with his own power, but he forces opposing pitchers to give more hittable pitches to other hitters. Pitchers do not want to face Cespedes, as a consequence, they have to pitch to player like Wright, d'Arnaud, Murphy, Duda and Flores. This is why the Cespedes acquisition has resulted in a total offensive success. The power of one great player in the lineup goes beyond just his at-bats.
As far as Harvey's impact, he is not the Dark Knight of 2013. Harvey's current pitching level has the possibility of being replaced. The right hander is still worth a great deal which is why the Mets could sell/trade him and use that money to pay Cespedes. Logan Verrett has done a fine job in replacement and Zack Wheeler will be back next year which could create a pitching surplus for the Mets. The Mets need to keep Cespedes to stay postseason contenders and getting money for Harvey could be the answer.
