The New York Mets weren’t bluffing.

Indeed, for much of the offseason and despite a growing outcry from fans, General Manager Sandy Alderson said the team believed the chances of keeping Yoenis Cespedes looked unlikely.

But throughout it all, Alderson said Wednesday, the Mets kept in contact with Cespedes’ agent, Brodie Van Wagenen. And as it became increasingly clear Cespedes would be open to a shorter-term deal – a concession perhaps to a market that appears to have dried up – momentum from those talks led to the surprising three-year, $75 million deal that brought Cespedes back to the Mets.

“We had to be realistic about where things were,” Alderson said. “It was hard to read into the market because of how (Van Wagnen) described it, the shifts and so forth that were taking place. It was hard to predict. I think those statements accurately portrayed where we thought we were.”

Yet a few weeks later, the Mets officially announced the return of the talented center fielder whose arrival helped the club to its first pennant since 2000.

“Both sides remained committed to keeping an open mind on creative deal structures,” said Van Wagenen, who credited the Mets’ chief operating officer, Jeff Wilpon, for pushing the deal across the finish line.

Throughout the process, Van Wagenen said the Mets remained willing to make concessions, such as granting the critical opt-out clause after the first season of the deal that would give Cespedes the right to test the free-agent waters once more in what’s expected to be a thin class of outfielders.

In exchange, the Mets limited their guarantee to three years, a stance that remained unchanged all winter. Cespedes had made it known he wanted to come back to the Mets, another key factor in the agreement.

“It was the right time to get the deal done,” Wilpon said.

Wilpon stopped short of acknowledging that fan pressure played a factor. And he also disputed the notion that the Washington Nationals’ reported interest had spurred the Mets into action.

But Alderson said that he was conscious of the fans’ desire to find a way to bring back Cespedes, who slugged 17 homers after his July 31 arrival from the Tigers.

“We understood the magnitude of this issue with the media and our fans,” Alderson said.

Both Alderson and Van Wagenen recalled a critical conversation before momentum picked up late last week.

In that talk, Alderson asked Van Wagenen if Cespedes wanted to return to the Mets. The answer was yes. In response, Van Wagenen asked Alderson if the Mets were “in it to win it?” The answer, again, was yes.

Now with Cespedes in the fold, the Mets have solidified a lineup that is expected to complement what arguably is the best starting rotation in baseball.

Said Alderson: “It’s a clear acknowledgement that the present is important for us.”

ANGELS: Right fielder Kole Calhoun avoided an arbitration hearing, agreeing to a $3.4 million, one-year contract.

Calhoun asked for $3.9 million when the sides exchanged proposed salaries Jan. 15, and the Angels offered $2.35 million. The agreement is $275,000 above the midpoint.

TIGERS-ANGELS: Detroit acquired Kody Eaves from Los Angeles for Jefry Marte in a swap of infielders.

DODGERS: The team outrighted right-hander Brandon Beachy to its Triple-A roster, although he’s still expected at spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Beachy, 29, was 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in two appearances with the Dodgers last year.

MAJOR LEAGUE Baseball hired Tyrone Brooks from the Pittsburgh Pirates as senior director of its new front office and field staff diversity pipeline program.

The program is designed to increase the pool of minority and female candidates for on-field and baseball operations positions.