96 replies to this topic

[TheGoldenGreek33]

The "26-year-old" Cuban defect is expected to hit free agency this winter and is seeking a contract similar to what Aroldis Chapman received.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mD_ZrcUZv94#!

Very interesting to say the least. It's truly a must-watch.

Jeff Passan article

Kevin Goldstein article

Edited by AlNipper49, 13 February 2012 - 01:50 PM.
change title

[Bigpupp]

Was just about to post this. Him being a freak is nice to see and all, but wow is that video filled with all sorts of amazing.

[phragle]

What the hell was that? I had to watch it on mute and fast forward through most of it. That video was so shitty that I hope he doesn't sign here.

It reminded me of this:

[teddywingman]

That video is fascinating, puzzling, horrible, and amazing all at once.

Here's a rough approximation of how I perceived what I just watched:

Dude looks like a young Vlad. G.... Why are all his swings paused or in slow motion.... His bat finishes really high, looks like a nice swing... This footage sucks.... I guess he's in Cuba... Dude does some extreme workouts.... This song seems like a poor choice.... No footage of dude playing the field-- just shagging flies and catching a ball behind his back? ....... I can't tell if these BP shots are leaving the yard... footage sucks....A song about dicks in your promo? Whoaaa is that much weight healthy? Depends on the body I guess... Wait, WHAT KIND OF CORE STRENGTH?

This video gets weird, and it gets there fast. But not only does it get weird, it shows some baseball parks that I would love to visit someday.

Who chose the soundtrack? That's what I want to know.

[TomRicardo]

Yoenis Cespedes is a player the Red Sox should be in on.

[rembrat]

I love the 1300LB Leg Press w/ zero range of motion. He is a total bro and he even styles while working out. I want him.

[kenneycb]

Bros don't leg press, bro. Bros do bicep curls. In front of the mirror. All day. Everyday. Gotta work on those bicep curls.

[DukeSox]

Bros don't leg press, bro. Bros do bicep curls. In front of the mirror. All day. Everyday. Gotta work on those bicep curls.

No curls, no girls.

[teddykgb]

I love the 1300LB Leg Press w/ zero range of motion. He is a total bro and he even styles while working out. I want him.

The leg presses are far and away the best. I'd like to know how much I could leg press for 4 inches. Bouncing the squats off that ball was pretty good, too.

[santadevil]

I loved the video around the 10:50 mark.
I really don't even know how to explain it, other than I'm surprised I haven't seen it on a porn site somewhere.

[EddieYost]

Thank goodness he has mastered catching fly balls behind his back. That should come in handy.

[SpacemanzGerbil]

I want to kidnap this video and lock it up in my basement for the next 20 years.

Did Busta say, "Bukkake?"

The pig roast at the end was my non-musical highlight, though.

[santadevil]

Damn....video has been removed by the user.

[TheGoldenGreek33]

Damn....video has been removed by the user.

KG was smart enough to copy it on his iPad. Said it could be up soon.

[ForceAtHome]

Damn....video has been removed by the user.

Man, am I disappointed. Someone sent me a link, but I had to do something else first, and by the time I returned... gone. I didn't realize the greatness I had until I stumbled into this thread...

[SoxScout]

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has had a scout with Cespedes. The Yankees have made it clear that they are interested. So have the Red Sox, whom one source said are "sending everyone" to the Dominican. Toronto will be in. Texas, too. Several small-market teams have let Katz know they will be in, including Pittsburgh, Oakland and Cleveland.

http://mlb.mlb.com/n...rtnerId=rss_mlb

Goes with Ben talking about spending internationally 75 times since becoming GM. Also nice Ellsbury insurance in 2 year.

[rembrat]

Put the Marlins in there for obvious reasons as well.

[ForceAtHome]

https://twitter.com/#!/Kevin_Goldstein/status/133705448451870720

Link to video re-uploaded.

[SemperFidelisSox]

If Cespedes really wants Ben and the Red Sox to go all in and overpay for him, he should make a second video of himself reacting positively to teammates stealing home.

[crow216]

That's some impressive shit. There shouldn't be any team that doesn't want him. So long as his age is the right number, what's not to like?

[pokey_reese]

That is a truly special video. Can he bring Yulieski Gourriel with him? Make it a combo pack.

[greek_gawd_of_walks]

I don't know what's more impressive: his skill set or the production values.

He's on my wishlist. Right at the top.

[Orel Miraculous]

That's some impressive shit. There shouldn't be any team that doesn't want him. So long as his age is the right number, what's not to like?

Agreed. As crazy as this sounds, its possible that this guy is one of the 30 best baseball players in the world. I'm not saying he is or isn't (obviously that's impossible to say) but being the best power hitter in Cuba puts you in that conversation until proven otherwise.

[teddywingman]

I don't know. Honest, I don't.
But one thing I do know is that nothing in that video assures me that he would be a great player in MLB.

He's hitting bombs, yeah. But most of what we see is off BP pitchers and youngsters. Looks like a great swing, I think, if I ever saw one in fluid motion I might know better.

Mark me down as saying that this guy could be a young Wily Mo Pena. Love the video though.

Edit: Yeah, I kind of know how good Cuban baseball is. Kind of.

Edited by teddywingman, 07 November 2011 - 11:25 PM.

[TheGoldenGreek33]

I don't know what's more impressive: his skill set or the production values.

My apologies for the snark, but...

What exactly is his skill-set? What do you really know about him? Do you watch Cuban baseball on a regular basis to know what the age-adjustment level he's playing against? How do the numbers he put up in Cuba translate to MLB? I could go on and on here.

I'm honestly asking because I don't know. And I don't think any of us really know. I'm intrigued, as everyone else is. But I just don't understand how anyone, after watching that joke of a video, can just be sold on the guy. There's just not enough video of the guy actually playing baseball for me to get overly excited about. He's put up solid numbers in Cuba and is freakishly athletic. Is that enough for people to want their favorite team to throw $30M at the guy?

Enlighten me.

Edited by TheGoldenGreek33, 08 November 2011 - 02:09 AM.

[Wingack]

http://www.nydailyne...rticle-1.974103

A Yahoo! Sports report indicated that the Yankees “are particularly hot” for Cespedes, though a source said yesterday that the outfielder’s name did not come up during the team’s organizational meetings last month.

Brian Cashman had little to say about Cespedes, though the GM did confirm that he had seen the video and seemed impressed by his physical tools. Baseball America reported that the Yankees held a private workout with Cespedes Monday, though Cashman would not confirm or deny the report.

“We’ll just scout him,” Cashman said. “He’s not even a free agent right now.”

The Marlins seem to be quite interested in Cespedes, as FoxSports.com reported that a contingent including owner Jeffrey Loria plans to visit the outfielder in the Dominican later this week.

[Orel Miraculous]

My apologies for the snark, but...

What exactly is his skill-set? What do you really know about him? Do you watch Cuban baseball on a regular basis to know what the age-adjustment level he's playing against? How do the numbers he put up in Cuba translate to MLB? I could go on and on here.

I'm honestly asking because I don't know. And I don't think any of us really know. I'm intrigued, as everyone else is. But I just don't understand how anyone, after watching that joke of a video, can just be sold on the guy. There's just not enough video of the guy actually playing baseball for me to get overly excited about. He's put up solid numbers in Cuba and is freakishly athletic. Is that enough for people to want their favorite team to throw $30M at the guy?

Enlighten me.

You're absolutely right, we can't know how good he is right now. But we do know that he was the best power hitter in what is either the 3rd or 4th best league in the world. Of course that alone doesn't mean he's worth $30 million. He could be a complete bust--but on the flip side, he is potentially one of the best players in the world. We just don't know. If he is, then a $30 investment is going to look pretty damn good.

FWIW, as Cuba's centerfielder in the 2009 WBC Cespedes .458/.480/1.000 with a double, three triples, and 2 homeruns in 6 games. If you throw out the games against South Africa and Australia, then in 4 games against Japan and Mexico he went 7-16 with 2 triples. If you further throw out the game against Mexico that was played in Mexico City (an offensive environment that makes Coors Field look like SAFECO) then in his three games against Japan and Mexico in PETCO Park he was 4-11 with a triple (1-3 against Daisuke.)

[crow216]

Keith Law -

I was asked a few times on Twitter about Yoennis Cespedes, a Cuban outfielder who might become a free agent here in the next few weeks, after he's cleared by the U.S. government and by the commissioner's office. (I received conflicting information over whether the second part has already occurred.) What we do know on Cespedes is that he has plus power (including opposite-field power) and can run, with a 6.5 60-yard dash time in a recent workout, and he's really well put together physically. He's also listed at 26, an age we'll have to take on faith, as Cuban ages are all but impossible to verify, and he's spent his career from age 18 to 25 mashing in a league that's equivalent to low Class A or worse. Leonys Martin hit .311/.492/.491 (BA/OBP/SLG) in his last full year in Cuba, then dropped to .295/.362/.421 between Double-A and Triple-A here, doing most of the damage in the former. Cespedes is bigger than Martin and much stronger, and has a far more conventional swing -- with a wider, more stable base, although he has a busy lower half. However, he is three years older and might, like Martin, have to spend time in the minors adjusting to better pitching than he saw in Cuba.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Dude is a physical freak. There's some damned impressive stuff in that video. Certainly enough for teams to want to work him out and evaluate him up close. If he's actually 26, he might be a good investment for a team like Boston this winter. I trust the front office to check him out for themselves and make a good decision either way.

The downside to this is that he may need a few months or a year in AA and AAA before he'd be ready to play major league ball. Would he be willing to do that? And if so, that means the Sox need a stop gap to start 2012. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up.

[MikeM]

I don't know. Honest, I don't.
But one thing I do know is that nothing in that video assures me that he would be a great player in MLB.

I was thinking the same thing after just taking the time to watch it in it's entirety. The workout clips were nice and all, yet practically nothing in there is all that telling about how any of that consistently transfers over to the field. In fact, was i not aware of his professional background and actual batting statistics backing it up, i'd be tempted to believe i could take one or two of the guys i've trained with over the years and replicate it. Neither of which ever sniffed pro ball.

Interesting, but more actual game footage please. Especially of him in the outfield, as the absence of such in favor of what they did decide to show there really makes me wonder. I mean with the sample size of games under his belt down there, and with the 5 tool billing, you'd have to think he'd have numerous clips of highlight plays over the years to showcase.

[Orel Miraculous]

Law's classification of the Cuban league as "Class A" or worse is going to get a lot of play when people talk about Cespedes. But really its a meaningless analogy. When talking about foreign leagues, everyone is desperate to give them a label that American fans can understand but it just doesn't work. Take Japan for example. Traditionally, American baseball people liken it to AAA (or sometimes AAAA). And while its absolutely true that there are players in Japan who would never make it past AAA (and some players who couldn't even hack it in AAA) there are also some players over there who are amongst the best players in the world and would be stars at any level. Ichiro and Matsui spent 10 years in Japan playing baseball at a much higher level than anyone in AAA. The same holds true for the Cuban league. There are plenty of Cuban players who are class A players, but El Duque wasn't, Kendrys Morales wasn't, and some scouts have called Yulieski Gourriel one of the best players in the world. For all we know Cespedes could be at that level.

[steveluck7]

Law's classification of the Cuban league as "Class A" or worse is going to get a lot of play when people talk about Cespedes. But really its a meaningless analogy. When talking about foreign leagues, everyone is desperate to give them a label that American fans can understand but it just doesn't work. Take Japan for example. Traditionally, American baseball people liken it to AAA (or sometimes AAAA). And while its absolutely true that there are players in Japan who would never make it past AAA (and some players who couldn't even hack it in AAA) there are also some players over there who are amongst the best players in the world and would be stars at any level. Ichiro and Matsui spent 10 years in Japan playing baseball at a much higher level than anyone in AAA. The same holds true for the Cuban league. There are plenty of Cuban players who are class A players, but El Duque wasn't, Kendrys Morales wasn't, and some scouts have called Yulieski Gourriel one of the best players in the world. For all we know Cespedes could be at that level.

I definitely agree with this. Just look at how Cuba consistently performs in international competition. Sure, the overall talent level of their professional leagues may be a bit depressed but it's obvious that their top-end talent can excel in the MLB. The question re: Cespedes can only really be answered once he signs and comes stateside.

[rglenmt]

Does anyone know how Yoenis Cespedes compares with Juan Carlos Linares? Linares is high on the depth chart, of course, behind Carl Crawford. Linares was injured for much of the 2011 Season, however, he has to been up there with Reddick and Kalish, with players in the organization who could help the team at the ML level. Linares is a RH hitter and he has been reported to have the skill set to play all 3 outfield positions in the Major Leagues.

Edited by rglenmt, 16 November 2011 - 07:26 PM.

[SoxScout]

Does anyone know how Yoenis Cespedes compares with Juan Carlos Linares? Linares if high on the depth chart, of course, behind Carl Crawford. Linares was injured for much of the 2011 Season, however, he has to been up there with Reddick and Kalish, with players in the organization who could help the team at the ML level. Linares is a RH hitter and he has been reported to have the skill set to play all 3 outfield positions in the Major Leagues.

I think the money is pretty telling with how they compare.

Cespedes $30M+?

Leonys Martin $15.5M

Linares $750K

[TheGoldenGreek33]

Does anyone know how Yoenis Cespedes compares with Juan Carlos Linares? Linares if high on the depth chart, of course, behind Carl Crawford. Linares was injured for much of the 2011 Season, however, he has to been up there with Reddick and Kalish, with players in the organization who could help the team at the ML level. Linares is a RH hitter and he has been reported to have the skill set to play all 3 outfield positions in the Major Leagues.

Favorably, although I'd venture to say Cespedes has the edge because of the behind-the-back catches, creative dancing ability and core strength tools. And that's what gets paid.

I think the money is pretty telling with how they compare.

Cespedes $30M+?

Leonys Martin $15.5M

Linares $750K

You know better than to judge a prospect based off his signing bonus.

Edited by TheGoldenGreek33, 09 November 2011 - 03:31 PM.

[Orel Miraculous]

Favorably, although I'd venture to say Cespedes has the edge because of the behind-the-back catches, creative dancing ability and core strength tools. And that's what gets paid.

Snark aside, I'm not sure how favorable the comparison is between them given that Linares never made the national team whereas Cespedes was batting fifth and starting in center.

[SoxScout]

You know better than to judge a prospect based off his signing bonus.

Why not? Martin was a few years younger than the other two, so that should be a big plus for him. I'm assuming people bidding have seen these people more than.... anyone outside of Cuba. If one is getting under a million, and the others tens of millions, there is a reason.

Edited by SoxScout, 09 November 2011 - 05:19 PM.

[Saturnian]

Yoenis Cespedes to hold private workout for the Red Sox in the Dominican Republice this weekend.

As an added bonus, the video is embedded in the article, for anyone who missed it first time around.

edit - typo

Edited by Saturnian, 16 November 2011 - 05:43 PM.

[Bigpupp]

Just to throw this in, according to Kevin Goldstein's podcast for this week, most scouts are throwing out ceiling grades of:

Hit: 50 (some said 40)
Power: 70
Defense: 50 (in center)
Arm: 60+ (some said 70)
Runner: 60-65

Edited by Bigpupp, 17 November 2011 - 12:47 AM.

[PaulinMyrBch]

Just to throw this in, according to Kevin Goldstein's podcast for this week, most scouts are throwing out ceiling grades of:

Hit: 50 (some said 40)
Power: 70
Defense: 50 (in center)
Arm: 60+ (some said 70)
Runner: 60-65

6.3 60's in slow motion on an internet video just aren't what they used to be.

[SoxScout]

Pictures from the Red Sox academy

[templeUsox]

Which one is Cespedes?

[Brianish]

Which one is Cespedes?

Damn it. Beaten by two minutes.

[soxhop411]

Which one is Cespedes?

im guessing the one on the right

[HangingW/ScottCooper]

I could take him.

[Bucknahs Bum Ankle]

im guessing the one on the right

But how can we be sure?

[Saturnian]

There is an encore video!

This one has a lot of cameos, including Theo, Guillen, Magadan, and of course Ahman Green again. No sound for me, not sure if it's a me problem or not. Whoever edited these is a master; what's BP worth without the context of him putting on batting gloves? THere is more actual on the field stuff in this one, his arm looks impressive, as is his batting practice. It may be the editing again, but my main takeaway was he'll end up with the Marlins. He seemed pretty chummy with Ozzie, they apparently have ~$150 million left over from the Pujols dalliance, and they are opening a new stadium in a market with a sizable Cuban population.

[Danny_Darwin]

ESPN reports he's about to be granted Dominican residency. Floodgates soon to open.

[soxhop411]

why do i feel sox will be sleepers on him?

[ThatsMyPeskyPole]

Rather sox spend 60 to 75 on cepedes then 125 on Yu.