PORT ST. LUCIE — Yoenis Cespedes is quite the ham — and so evidently is his prized pig.
But not everybody is laughing about Porkygate.
After the Mets outfielder told The Post on Wednesday the 270-pound pig he recently bought for $7,000 in an auction at a local fair had been sent to the butcher, PETA released a statement condemning Cespedes’ decision.
“Yoenis Cespedes can afford $7,000 out of his own pocket, and this loving, loyal and clever pig is paying the real price with his life,” said the statement from PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange. “It’s a shame that Cespedes dropped the ball here and missed the opportunity to send this pig to a sanctuary, where he could have lived out his days in peace.
“We’re sending Cespedes some delicious vegan bacon in the hope that he’ll open his heart, not clog it with pig fat.”
Cespedes, who owns an 88-acre ranch in nearby Vero Beach, indicated to the The Post he wasn’t allowed to keep the pig, but did not elaborate.
A Mets spokesman later attempted to clarify the matter, citing a state law in Florida that a hog bought at an auction must be slaughtered. But earlier in the day, an official with Indian River County Community Development — the government office that oversees laws regarding livestock in Vero Beach — told The Post there is no law prohibiting Cespedes from keeping the pig, as long as it’s on a farm or ranch and not in a residential neighborhood.
Cespedes has kept busy this spring. Last week he seized the spotlight by arriving at workouts in six different fancy vehicles, which had an aggregate value of more than $1 million.
Among the cars was a black Lamborghini, which cost more than $400,000. Late in the week, Cespedes arrived at camp with Alex Vega, a Miami-based dealer who customizes vehicles for players.
On Tuesday, Cespedes and teammate Noah Syndergaard rode on horseback across the team’s spring training complex. Syndergaard had hatched the idea to ride the horses, both of which came from Cespedes’ ranch. Manager Terry Collins then indicated the “fun time” was over and his team needed to concentrate on baseball.
Porkygate is reminiscent of another animal-related saga in recent Mets history.
In 2012, reliever Frank Francisco referred to the Yankees as “chickens” before the teams met in a three-game series at Citi Field. That weekend, reliever Tim Byrdak bought a live chicken and brought it into the team’s clubhouse.
The chicken — which Byrdak named “Little Jerry Seinfeld” — was later sent to a sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, along with a $500 check for expenses.