Yoenis Cespedes: Signs w/ A's for 4/36

[Big Z]

Cuban center fielder Yoenis Cespedes is seeking a contract worth around $30 million, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Cespedes defected in the summer and expects to be cleared for free agency soon. He seeks a contract similar to the one inked by Aroldis Chapman with the Reds in 2010. The Yankees are particularly high on Cespedes, according to Yahoo! Sports. Cespedes is being compared to Angels outfielder Mike Trout. He tied the single-season home run record in Cuba's top league this past season with 33 in 90 games. He's also considered a plus fielder. Nov. 6 - 11:58 pm et

Rotoworld

We should look into this guy. He reminds me of Justin Upton, not sure if Cespedes is quick at all though.

Kilgore hears that the Phillies and Marlins are also expected to vie for Cespedes:

MLBTR

[kusch]

Yoenis Cespedes: Marlins Considered Favorites To Land Cuban Player

looks interesting, I know we need a center fielder.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/1...#disqus_thread

[Ralph]

Speaking of Cuban ball players. Anyone know whatever happened to the guy that popped up last year? Yasiel Balaguer I believe was his name.

[MiamiHomer]

The Marlins have identified their center fielder of the future. Now all they have to do is sign him when he’s declared a free agent.

Yoenis Cespedes, a 26-year-old Cuban who defected last summer, should get the go-ahead to begin negotiating with major league teams later this month. According to an American League source who attended his showcase Friday in the Dominican Republic, the buzz is the Marlins have the inside track.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus both profiled Cespedes, who could command a deal in excess of $30 million, along the lines of what Cuban fireballer Aroldis Chapman secured from the Reds. The Marlins made an unsuccessful run at Chapman when he was declared a free agent.

Cespedes, the source said, may be the best player ever to come out of Cuba. Passan reported the Yankees are “particularly hot” for the right-handed hitting, five-tool talent. The 6-0, 215-pound Cespedes played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Since then, major league teams have been salivating at the idea of signing him.

Goldstein’s piece details a see-it-to-believe-it, 20-minute video Dominican-based advisor Edgar Mercedes put together. It shows him doing everything from blasting home runs to sprinting on a track to showing off a 45-inch vertical leap to leg pressing more than 1,300 pounds.

Many a Cuban defector has been overhyped, but this guy looks like a monster. It doesn’t hurt the Marlins that Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group, which also represents Hanley Ramirez, is Cespedes’ agent as well.

“This may be the big one for the Miami Marlins,” the source said. “He fits all their needs [on and off the field].”

Source: Miami Marlins considered favorites to land Cuban CF Yoenis Cespedes
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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD_ZrcUZv94[/ame]

[Ralph]

I had never heard of him until last night. Did he play in any of the WBC's?

[Beef]

He did
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That's where the ball went after it bounced off his glove.

He did make the All-WBC Team or whatever it's called

[MiamiHomer]

From the 2009 WBC:

Player 	                   Pos 	G 	AB 	R 	H 	D 	T 	HR 	RBI 	TB 	BB 	SO 	SB 	CS 	OBP 	SLG 	AVG 	OPS

Yoennis Cespedes	OF	6	24	5	11	1	3	2	5	24	1	5	0	0	.480	1.000	.458	1.480

Not much but just for viewing purposes.

[Omar]

I don't remember his performance, but then again I only really remember one Cuban player per WBC

This is the kind of news I hope we'll be seeing a lot of in the future

[MiamiHomer]

What I get from the video is he looks really athletic, has power and is a cocky motherfucker. I like him.
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Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal
Sources: #Marlins contingent, including owner Jeffrey Loria, will visit Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes in Dominican later this week. #MLB

Looks like he could be a top priority for the Marlins.

[Big Z]

What I get from the video is he looks really athletic, has power and is a cocky motherfucker. I like him.
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Looks like he could be a top priority for the Marlins.

Haha, guess we will have 3 cocky motherfuckers now, Hanley, LoMo and Cespedes.

Wow, Loria is going to go meet with him too? Shit just got serious.

[Fritz]

This is cool.

[Ramp]

Pretty cool

[Ralph]

He better be awesome

[Mainge]

Well this is exciting. Not expecting CF version of Hideki Matsui or anything but "sounds" like he could be a solid player that fills a major hole.

[Metes]

Super cool