Yoenis Cespedes signs with Oakland A's (Updated)
by Kurt Mensching on Feb 13, 2012 12:17 PM EST
in Detroit Tigers News
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PrintI've got some stuff to do this afternoon away from the computer, so hopefully my fellow BYB folks -- of which there are approximately 1,000 writers now on staff -- will update this as necessary.
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports:
Source: Yoenis Cespedes has agreed to terms with the Oakland A's.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) February 13, 2012
Susan Slusser confirms that, saying:
#Athletics about to sign Cespedes for for four years, $36 million.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) February 13, 2012
Welp, I'm speechless. I guess the shorter number of years offered by Oakland must have made the difference when most teams were talking about six-year deals worth up to $40 million.
UPDATE 3 p.m.
MLB.com's Jason Beck spoke with Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and has a nice post up at his blog.
Key quote:
"We liked him," Dombrowski told MLB.com Monday in a phone interview. "We talked contract with him, but we were not in a position to pay for him the amount they wanted."
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What the blazes?
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
we all knew he'd need some time in AAA
But 4 years is ridiculous
"I'm a simple man. I like pretty, dark-haired women and breakfast food" - Ron Swanson
by rock n rye on Feb 13, 2012 12:18 PM EST via Android app reply actions 15 recs
You win the thread
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
by David Tokarz on Feb 13, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
Surprise, surprise, surprise......
and Gomer Pyle would say.
Now, can we get Jorge Soler?
"King of Minutiae"
I'd take him
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
by David Tokarz on Feb 13, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Wouldn't help this year- Just 19
but he’d be another blue chip position prospect, and we only have one of those at the moment.
"King of Minutiae"
He wouldn't be a free agent after four years, but if he goes straight to MLB,
he’d be arbitration eligible after the four years is up, for two more seasons.
"King of Minutiae"
Everyone is reporting that he will be a free agent
after four years.
I see that
which increases the risk for Oakland, in the case where he takes time to adjust to the major leagues.
"King of Minutiae"
Bait and switch...
They had Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill do the negotiating. Starstruck.
by Gran-the-Man on Feb 13, 2012 12:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions
He'd be nice
But how is he really? And it he THAT great? There is so little objective assessment on this guy.
The heeeeck?
Wow. Weird.
I’m over it.
(Un)Official President of the Team Jacob Turner Fan Club
Yet Another Movie Blog
by DetroitTigersGeek on Feb 13, 2012 1:07 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I don't know
They’re setting up to be players in a year or two with all of these kids.
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Moving On
Okay, now just go ahead and sign Roy Oswalt, will ya DD? Whatever money you had set aside in case we got Cespedes is available now.
This needs to be said again evidently
Oswalt turned down playing in Detroit. It isn’t about money, he doesn’t want to play here.
He's been trying to sign closer to his home in Mississippi
St Louis, Houston, Rangers
but there’s not a fit there unless he signs for a fraction of his value.
Boston would be a good fit also, but he apparently doesn’t want to go there.
"King of Minutiae"
Why is Houston not a fit?
They had arguably the worst pitching staff in the NL last year. Surely there is a spot in the rotation for him, and he was very popular in Houston last time around.
by knucklescarbone on Feb 13, 2012 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
because they are terrible
if you’re playing for a 1-year deal, you want to rack up wins so you can fool backward-thinking GMs that still consider wins a valuable metric and sign a longer deal for more money. hard to get those in houston.
why yes, I'm slightly drunk at the moment
by Mark in Chicago on Feb 13, 2012 2:24 PM EST up reply actions
That makes sense, certainly, but
Tigerdog’s post lists Houston as one of the teams he has been trying to sign with.
Hence the question.
by knucklescarbone on Feb 13, 2012 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
They're going with a youth movement, clearing payroll, and he really wants to pitch for a contender
and get a ring.
"King of Minutiae"
forget about who says what
he ‘reportedly’ said no
but if DD changes the years or the $ he can still say yes
saying no on Jan 1st is a lot different than saying no on Feb. 13th
by davewilliamt on Feb 13, 2012 1:28 PM EST up reply actions
Which is why he signed with all the other suitors...
Ohh wait, he hasn’t because he has a specific few teams he wants to play for and is refusing to play for other teams. I really don’t understand what is so confusing about this. He has stated that there are only a few places he wants to play for, he has also stated that he only wants a one year contract (so your idea of adding years means squat).
It is funny, we complain about players always going for the most money and not showing any loyalty, and then when one says it isn’t about the money but about wanting to play in a specific location we figure we can just throw more money at them to change their minds.
But you are probably right, he has obviously been holding out, no matter what he has said to the contrary, for more money and more years from Detroit…I mean it isn’t like other teams have offered him more money or more years, but if DD does it then of course he will jump at the chance and joke about it in the press conference to announce the signing. “Yeah, I know I said that I didn’t want to play in Detroit, and that I have blocked trades to Detroit in the past, but really I was just joshing with you guys the whole time. It was all part of my master plan so that in the spring of 2012 I could milk you for an extra year and an extra 2 Million dollars. haha” Is that really what you think is going through his mind?
I agree with you completely...
but do you think the addition of Prince may have opened his mind a little? I think its possible.
I haven't heard of any real serious offer other than the Tigers
$ 10 million, one year reported offer. The Red Sox would be the other club that could pony up, but they were reported to have dealt Scutaro to make payroll room and they’re struggling with Ortiz over money.
"King of Minutiae"
That is the point I am trying to make
We have offered him more money than anyone else and he still hasn’t signed with us. It isn’t completely about money for Roy, he wants to play in a select few cities and he isn’t really listening to offers from others. I misspoke when I said other teams have offered him more money (I could have sworn that earlier in the off season teams were offering him more but I can’t find it anywhere), but all reports are saying that he wants 10 Mil for one year, which is exactly what the Tigers offered him and what he turned down. From all reports we have already offered him twice as much as anyone else….
$9MM per?
That’s a bit of money for an alleged 26 year old who hasn’t played an inning in MLB.
I don’t believe for a second that Beane intends on keeping him. Cespedes is Banta fodder by the trade deadline of ’13. More probably by ’12. Beane pays 6-18 months of his salary and flips him for more propsects who he will flip later.
Just.brilliant.
If your parents didn't have any children, chances are you won't either
by Singledigit on Feb 13, 2012 1:54 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
+1 for star wars reference
President of the Tony Scheffler Fan Club
by ZWC11 on Feb 13, 2012 4:24 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
That's one way to go "over slot", or at least outside the parameters of Selig's system
and turn money into young prospects.
But when is the last time that the A’s extended a real good player into his free agency years? And I don’t count Coco Crisp.
"King of Minutiae"
Eric Chavez then?
Not a superstar, but definitely a really good player in his time.
by thepartybird on Feb 13, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, he was signed well past his free agent years
Injuries pushed his value below his salary, so they couldn’t have unloaded him if they wanted to, but they did give him a huge contract.
"King of Minutiae"
Shocked
mainly because he went to such a sub-par team.. Being 26, and entering into the prime of his playing years, one would think he would want to jump right into a “win now” situation. I just don’t understand why he’d go to Oakland being that the A’s are in perpetual rebuilding mode and he’s unlikely to sniff the postseason for the vast majority of his time in the Bay Area.
Chicks dig me, because I rarely wear underwear and when I do it's usually something unusual
I think when you're in your prime it's about money.
When you’re 36 and haven’t won yet is when you care about that sort of thing.
Assuming you’re good enough at 36 to have any sort of leverage…
by thepartybird on Feb 13, 2012 9:51 PM EST up reply actions
MONEY BALL’d
"trout jefferson is using multiple numbers and no swears. I barely recognize you man." - Kurt Mensching
by Trout Jefferson on Feb 13, 2012 2:05 PM EST reply actions
Not only that Brian
Cespedes might have considered calling Matt Holliday about how much fun it is to hit there.
Most don’t have their career year when they make a stop in Oakland.
If your parents didn't have any children, chances are you won't either
Reply fail
If your parents didn't have any children, chances are you won't either
Huh. I guess that's settled, then.
Now, on to the real question: Where will Kurt turn to for the all-important page views?
He already go those
Rember that fielder bombshell?
Tired of generic music??? Exterminate All Rational Thought is here to help!
gonna milk that cow daily if I have to!
by Kurt Mensching on Feb 13, 2012 3:09 PM EST up reply actions
I smell an Inge series coming
The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981
Power rankings
Inge’s best career games- a 1399 part series!
"You, on the other hand, make Eeyore look like Rainbow Brite." -johnmoz
"I think of you more as the blue book style essay of sports journalism."-Kurt Mensching
by David Tokarz on Feb 13, 2012 9:58 PM EST up reply actions
Now we can look forward to Spring Training in peace
I’ve been a little worked up over this kid. Now it’s over. I’m relieved more than dissapointed. The pressure would have been on all year too, waiting for him to start hitting. It will be easier watching his progress from afar.
does this mean we aren't trading delmon young for prado?
‘cuz i still wouldn’t mind seeing that happen…
why yes, I'm slightly drunk at the moment
by Mark in Chicago on Feb 13, 2012 2:26 PM EST reply actions
I was secretly holding out hope
that we’d sign Cespedes and find some way to flip Delmon to Atlanta (even though it seems they don’t really want Delmon).
Pipe dreams, I know.
This is funny as hell
All the mumbo jumbo about Miami and Cuban population. A lot of people were dead wrong.
I kept trying to point that out
the “everybody knows” stuff is always silly. People get way too into it.
by Kurt Mensching on Feb 13, 2012 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Other than Seattle
The Bay Area is the farthest he could get from Cuba. Maybe there is a plan to defect to Japan. The A’s open the season there.
by manic in Detroit on Feb 13, 2012 7:53 PM EST reply actions
Pretty funny.
Just before this broke I was getting lunch with my diehard Miami fan friend who insisted that the Cuban community, and the Marlins’ motivation to sign him made the Marlins the locks to sign Cespedes.
He went to the bathroom as we were waiting for the checks and I checked my phone for baseball news and sure enough, “Cespedes to A’s” was the top headline.
Highlight of my day was showing him the article just moments after he claimed Miami was the immortal lock. I’m a bit disappointed the Tigers didn’t get him, but for that money, I’m ok with the Tigers passing on him.
No One Has Mentioned
that Jose Canseco who is from Cuba played for Oakland.
Cespedes was born in 1985 – Canseco played for the A’s from 85 – 92. Most likely Cespedes grew up a big Canseco fan.
Don’t know if there is a Cespedes – Canseco relationship or whether Canseco having played for the Athletics influenced Cespedes decision to sign with them, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
I'm not a fan of Billy Beane, but I think he done real good here
This was a brilliant ploy to get the media’s attention without breaking the bank. Big name free agents usually cost $20+ Million a year. Those are the kind of players that draw the fans, media, merchants, advertisers, ect. Cespedes only cost them $9 M a year and for just 4 years. They are getting roughly the same benefits that Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder would of gave them, but for a fraction of the cost.
Before Cespedes, there wasn’t one good reason why anyone would want to watch the Oakland A’s play. Everyone is going to watch Cespedes on TV regardless of what team he plays for. As for the Tigers, Marlins, and other popular teams, the media was going to cover them anyway, so he probably wasn’t worth $9 Million a year to them. Cespedes wasn’t going to make much of a media impact to already popular teams.
What Billy Beane done is equivalent to what Patrick Dempsey did in the movie “Can’t Buy Me Love”. Where he was a super nerd in high school that rented a cheer leader for a month for $1000 to help him look “cool” by pretending to be his girlfriend. That ruse gave him instant popularity.
What about Ramirez
Rumor of an Oakland/Ramirez signing was out there too. Sounds to me like they are trying to draw a crowd to help breed more interest in a new stadium. Gotta have a fan draw
by itiswhatitis2 on Feb 14, 2012 1:41 PM EST via Android app reply actions
they don't need more interest in a new stadium, they need bud selig to approve their move to San Jose
Oakland has already made an offer to them on a new stadium that they rejected because the owner (from San Jose) is intent on moving the team, and San Jose would like them to move as well.
by Kurt Mensching on Feb 14, 2012 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
Selig wants it to happen
he just needs to pacify the Giants about the move.
It’s easy to say this, but SF would be the closest venue to the East Bay/ Oakland area if the A’s were to move to San Jose. Not sure what the real financial interest is that the Giants have there. It’s all pretty much the same TV market. It comes down to a buyout for SF.
"King of Minutiae"
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