Noted BBQ enthusiast Yoenis Cespedes bought himself a grand champion hog
Yoenis Cespedes is a man of many passions. Cars. Bat flips. Cuban sandwiches. But of all the wonders in this world, Yo loves barbecue above them all. Exhibit A: Back in 2011, when Cespedes was a free agent looking to make the leap from Cuba to MLB, he put together a showcase video for all 30 GMs. After 20 minutes of workouts and dingers, he said goodbye to his audience the only way he knew how:
Now, five years later and fresh off signing a $75 million deal to stay with the Mets, Cespedes is finally making his wildest BBQ dreams a reality: On Friday night, he purchased a 275-pound hog at the St. Lucie County Fair's rodeo.
To repeat, in case it wasn't quite clear the first time: Cespedes purchased a 275-pound hog. According to one of his companions that evening, the Mets outfielder "was in a bidding war" at an auction for the champion swine, with proceeds going to charity. No word on exactly how much Cespedes spent, but hogs typically sell for significantly less than Lamborghinis.
@AdamRubinESPN Yes I was at SLC Fair and he purchased my grandsons Grand Champion hog. Great guy and lovely family. pic.twitter.com/XnMQuLDeP2
— Sandy Croghan (@sandy20110) February 29, 2016
Clearly, Cespedes has taken a liking to life in Florida's Treasure Coast. He owns an 88-acre ranch in nearby Vero Beach, Fla., according to the New York Post, which also reported that he slaughtered an 800-pound cow there during a party in November.
Then there are his cars: six of them in total, ranging from a pair of $68,000 Polaris Slingshots to a Lamborghini Aventador worth over $400,000. The Post also reported that Cespedes owns "seven boats and a $2 million mansion besides the ranch."
And, now, a hog.
Groups of Mets, including Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz, annually attend the St. Lucie County Fair's rodeo. But it's clear that nobody does things quite like Cespedes.
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDiComo and Facebook, and listen to his podcast.
