Mets swing deadline stunner, acquire Yoenis Cespedes from Tigers

The New York Mets, mocked for most of this season for their inability to augment a struggling offense, had the last laugh Friday when they acquired Detroit Tigers outfielder Yoenis Cespedes just minutes before baseball's non-waivers trade deadline.

A person with direct knowledge of the trade confirmed Cespedes is headed to the Mets in exchange for minor league right-handers Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa. He spoke on condition of anonymity because it is still pending examination of medical records.

Cespedes, the power-hitting and strong-armed left fielder, is the final move over eight days that began with the promotion of outfielder Michael Conforto and continued with a trade for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. But Cespedes, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, is the surest sign the Mets are all in on catching the Washington Nationals in the NL East.

His acquisition caps a wild week during which the Mets agreed to acquire outfielder Carlos Gomez from the New York Mets, but that deal was nixed over concerns with Gomez's health.

Perhaps with that in mind, when asked about the Cespedes acquisition Friday at Citi Field, third baseman David Wright declined comment until the trade was officially announced by the club.

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"We've been through this before," he said, smiling.

Fulmer, 22, was the 22nd overall pick of the Mets in the 2011 draft, and has excelled at Class AA Binghamton this season, posting a 1.88 earned-run average and a 1.12 WHIP. Conforto was Fulmer's teammate until last week.

"He has great stuff," Conforto said Friday. "He could locate a lot of pitches. He threw hard, has a good slider."

Cessa, a 23-year-old signed out of Mexico, earned a promotion to Class AAA Las Vegas after going 7-4 with a 2.56 ERA in 13 starts at Binghamton.

For now, they represent a small price to pay to snap a Mets playoff drought that extends to 2006. The Mets rank last in the major leagues in runs scored (363) and batting average (.235) and are tied for eighth in the NL with 88 home runs.

Cespedes, 29, won't be the panacea to their offensive woes, but he will surely provide more punch. He's hit 18 home runs and driven in 61 for the Tigers, who like the Mets have a hitter-unfriendly home field in Comerica Park. Cespedes hit a career-high 26 home runs in just 135 games in 2013 for the Oakland Athletics. His current .506 slugging percentage is a career high - and 48 points higher than the top Met in that department, first baseman Lucas Duda.

Despite their offensive woes, the Mets entered Friday night just three games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East; the teams begin a three-game series at Citi Field Friday evening.

Contributing: Joe Lemire in New York

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