PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Consider the power of these two words: Cespedes commitment.
CC that, Mets.
This is the commitment to the Mets that came with that four-year, $110 million price tag, a commitment that has been shown in the wee hours of the morning in the state-of-the-art Barwis Methods workout facility that is tucked away behind right field at Tradition Field.
There you will find Yoenis Cespedes forging his body and his will. Remember, last year Cespedes did not sign with the Mets until late and then there was that opt out.
For all his greatness, Cespedes essentially was a rental, a baseball nomad, really, since leaving his home in Cuba.
Cespedes, 31, is home now like never before in the majors with the Mets and his commitment and his work with strength and conditioning adviser Mike Barwis should pay monster dividends in 2017.
“Signing early has allowed me to do everything I wanted to do and train to get ready for the season,’’ Cespedes told The Post through a translator after a grueling 90-minute workout with Barwis earlier this week. “I’m much more comfortable now with having a multi-year contract. When you play year-to-year, sometimes you are concerned about getting hurt, but now all that’s in the past.’’
Cespedes is comfortable and it shows.
“Mike is a super-intelligent guy who is really helping me out and I am going to be ready to be healthy for the whole season,’’ Cespedes said.
Barwis marvels at Cespedes.
“He has made an extra level of commitment and with being the world-class athlete that he is, the expectations are limitless,’’ Barwis said in a raspy, “you can do it, bro,’’ voice. “He wants to prove to everyone that the Mets made the right commitment to him. You’re talking about a man who has the potential that few people who walk this earth can ever smell.
“He is inspired to achieve greatness, while inspiring others, a guy like that, there is no stopping him. His workout is phenomenal. He is in here five days a week day pushing hard.’’
Every day is workout Groundhog Day.
With the workouts, massage therapy and much more, also come meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“We even send them home with meals,’’ Barwis said.
Cespedes revealed to The Post that he was playing with a much more serious quadriceps injury than he let on last season.
“I am the only one who knew how much pain I was in,’’ admitted Cespedes, who looks more flexible and stronger. “I was trying to mask it, trying to play through it and do as much as I could to help the team. After the games I was icing to try to be on the field as much as I could.’’
Despite that pain, Cespedes managed to blast 31 home runs and drive in 86 runs in 479 at-bats. He has a .903 OPS with the Mets since coming over from the Tigers in that turnaround 2015 trade. The Mets are his fourth team since 2014 but now he is home.
“I’ve really been concentrating on my legs so I can work from the ground up,’’ Cespedes said.
Manager Terry Collins is so impressed he recently said he expects a “gigantic season’’ from his slugger.
Watch Cespedes work with his teammates in this setting and you see how he is revered. Teammate after teammate comes into the Barwis facility, from veteran shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to super shortstop prospect Amed Rosario to Lucas Duda, and each player is drawn to Cespedes. They hug, they chat, they crack a smile and as Cespedes goes through his paces, he makes sure to stop to encourage teammates.
“I want to set an example for the young players,’’ Cespedes said.
Cespedes also said he has backed away from playing so much golf this offseason, and, get this, sold his Lamborghini, his immaculate white Jeep and “most of my vehicles,’’ he said. He is comfortable driving his Ford Super Duty truck. Don’t forget, this man is a rancher, he needs a big, sturdy truck.
Cespedes is an early riser this time of year.
“I like getting up at 5:30 and being the first one to the ballpark and doing my early work,’’ Cespedes said. “Once spring training starts, I will get up at 4:30 and be ready to go to be the first one here. I like that. During the season I will not get up that early but I like that now.’’
This is the third straight offseason Mets players are committed to working with Barwis — so far, so good, with two straight playoff appearances.
Cespedes is not in the prediction business, but he is excited about the Mets’ chances this season.
“I’m not going to make a prediction that we are going to win the World Series, but the mentality to play every day to get that goal is here,’’ Cespedes said. “There are a lot of possibilities, if our health stays with our pitching staff and with our position players, we can achieve that goal.’’
Barwis sees that commitment each morning.
“These guys are choosing to work, they pay their own way to this program,’’ Barwis noted. “We have had players from 15 teams here, but the Mets players have made an amazing commitment. When you get exceptional athletes and they make exceptional commitment, you get exceptional results.’’
Yoenis Cespedes is at the top of that list now. He is Mr. Met. Look out, baseball world.