Passan reporting Lester/Gomes to the A's for Cespedes

beezer · Jul 31, 2014

According to this article the contract he signed with the As precluded arbitration being offered, meaning he's a free agent after next year

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22297882/34821504

Corsi · Jul 31, 2014

The deal, which won't be officially announced by the A's until Cespedes has taken a physical, precludes Oakland from offering him arbitration, meaning the outfielder will automatically become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120213&content_id=26674580&vkey=news_oak&c_id=oak

Eck'sSneakyCheese · Jul 31, 2014

I think Fenway will be very kind to Mr. Cespedes. Ballsy move by both teams.

RIrooter09 · Jul 31, 2014

Tied for 28th in fWAR among outfielders this year at 2.3 with Jacoby Ellsbury, Sam Fuld, Marcell Ozuna, and Juan Lagares.

Stan Papi Was Framed · Jul 31, 2014

DrewDawg said:
I'll say it--all you dumbasses can shut up about the Red Sox "plan" and not having one. Just shut up.

I heartily agree. if this is right and the Red Sox are getting Cespedes, I am more than willing to put aside my emotional feelings about Lester. amazing deal

glennhoffmania · Jul 31, 2014

johnnywayback said:
This is such a great trade. Lester's with a team unlikely to sign him long-term, we get a right-handed power bat with plus outfield defense -- what's not to like?

The part where his OBP is barely over .300.

Bigpupp · Jul 31, 2014

Pxer said:
He is arbitration-eligible in 2016 & 2017. 3.5 years of team control. Meh.

He negotiated that he would be a free agent instead of going to arbitration when he signed.

Edit: or what about 10 people already said.

Corsi · Jul 31, 2014

Baseball Reference says free agent in 2018: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cespeyo01.shtml#contracts

Pxer · Jul 31, 2014

Corsi said:
meh?

Meh to the return. Thought Lester would fetch something better than an average LF whose value will likely equate to what he's paid.

Savin Hillbilly · Jul 31, 2014

Coachster said:
Will he play left here? With that gun?

A good arm is actually a valuable thing in Fenway's LF, cutting down those would-be doubles.

But from all I've heard about Cespedes I would guess he'll play pretty well in our RF as well.

bosockboy · Jul 31, 2014

The Cardinals desperately need RF production....I think this might be a flip later today.....just a hunch.

Stitch01 · Jul 31, 2014

Its a coup if they reup Lester at a discount to market value after the season. I'll be shocked if that happens, but am rooting for it

Good chance he's flipped too, but if so the prospect return isn't going to be two elite guys or anything.

Smiling Joe Hesketh · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
The part where his OBP is barely over .300.

Power, especially RH power, is at an extreme premium right now.

5050HindSight · Jul 31, 2014

The A's now have more Red Sox players than the Red Sox do.

DJnVa · Jul 31, 2014

bosockboy said:
The Cardinals desperately need RF production....I think this might be a flip later today.....just a hunch.

Don't know about flipping him, but there are 2 more shoes to fall. Not to mention we may be getting back a prospect as well.

EDIT: Or a pick. Nice.

yecul · Jul 31, 2014

In today's post-steroids world the expectations for and value of (power) bats needs to be adjusted. A guy like Cespedes has warts, but brings things to the table that have become scarcer. Look at the Cy Young landscape. Lots of quality candidates with ERAs that would have looked silly 5-10 years ago. Pedro's epic year saw him post similar ERAs to what the leaders have in the heart of the steroid era. What made Pedro's year special was that his peers were so far behind him. Now that ERA is much easier to attain.

So in that light, a return like Cespedes makes sense.

Lester will be resigned by Boston. That is my prediction.

Sox and Rocks · Jul 31, 2014

StuckOnYouk said:
Gotta love Billy Beane. The guy has some serious nads.

Yep. Other GMs play in the sandbox, overvaluing their prospects, while he gets shit done

Snodgrass'Muff · Jul 31, 2014

gammoseditor said:
Link to Cots, saying he's a free agent in a year.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-west/oakland-athletics/

He's only played in the majors for three years. He'll be arbitration eligible. He won't be cheap in arbitration, but he won't be a free agent. They may look to leverage his arb years into an extension.

Edit: Didn't see the clause in his deal, but is it specifically the A's who can't offer him arb or any team that controls him?

wibi · Jul 31, 2014

Pxer said:
Meh to the return. Thought Lester would fetch something better than an average LF whose value will likely equate to what he's paid.

Entitled much? I have your pink hat for you when you are ready

BornToRun · Jul 31, 2014

And now begins the period in which our fingers are crossed indefinitely until the offseason when we see if Jon comes back home in free agency.

glennhoffmania · Jul 31, 2014

Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
Power, especially RH power, is at an extreme premium right now.

Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. I've been following him all year. I'm just saying it's not like they got a great all around player. He has his warts.

In my lifetime · Jul 31, 2014

Interesting way to fill an immediate glaring need at the same time it opens a need.

nattysez · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
The part where his OBP is barely over .300.

Or how about the part where he is a free agent after 2015?

People excited based on name recognition alone is silly.

Corsi said:
Baseball Reference says free agent in 2018: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cespeyo01.shtml#contracts

That's incorrect. http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-west/oakland-athletics/

[SIZE=130%]Yoenis Cespedes[/SIZE] lf
4 years/$36M (2012-15)

[SIZE=78%]4 years/$36M (2012-15)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=78%]signed by Oakland as a free agent from Cuba (via the Dominican Republic) 2/13/12[/SIZE]

[SIZE=78%]12[/SIZE]:$6.5M, 13:$8.5M, 14:$10.5M, 15:$10.5M

[SIZE=78%]may become Article XX(B) free agent after 2015 season[/SIZE]

[*][SIZE=78%]agent: Adam Katz[/SIZE]
[*][SIZE=78%]ML service: 2.000[/SIZE]

Sox and Rocks · Jul 31, 2014

MakMan44 said:
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/494843875639697408

Passan says their comp pick is coming our way too.

It gets better

johnnywayback · Jul 31, 2014

Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
Power, especially RH power, is at an extreme premium right now.

Yup -- which is why I and others have been obnoxiously agitating for Stanton.

Rovin Romine · Jul 31, 2014

gammoseditor said:
Link to Cots, saying he's a free agent in a year.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-west/oakland-athletics/

Another article http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120213&content_id=26674580&vkey=news_oak&c_id=oak suggests he's a FA:

The deal, which won't be officially announced by the A's until Cespedes has taken a physical, precludes Oakland from offering him arbitration, meaning the outfielder will automatically become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

The Gray Eagle · Jul 31, 2014

Fielding Bible has him as -2 runs over the past three years in LF. Pretty close to average. Though that includes the baserunner kills from his awesome arm, so he's probably a bit below average with the glove, but makes up for it with the arm. He probably wouldn't be good at all in RF in Fenway. But he could turn lots of doubles to left into singles or outs at second though.

Smiling Joe Hesketh · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. I've been following him all year. I'm just saying it's not like they got a great all around player. He has his warts.

Every player not named Mike Trout has warts. Including Lester (FA to be) and Gomes (platoon player, oafish in the field).

rodderick · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. I've been following him all year. I'm just saying it's not like they got a great all around player. He has his warts.

How would we get a major league everyday player without warts for 2 months of Lester?

Corsi · Jul 31, 2014

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/494845729505284096

glennhoffmania · Jul 31, 2014

MakMan44 said:
Snod, we've got 3 people with links that says he isn't arb eligible after 2015.

You should know by now that Snod is never wrong.

Byrdbrain · Jul 31, 2014

The pick is better than what you would have received for Lester leaving so if you weren't signing him it really Gomes for Cespedes.

Edit:Maybe not not sure what the "Comp B round" means. Is this just after the 1st round or not?

Rice4HOF · Jul 31, 2014

Here's something I posted on twitter
https://twitter.com/BaseballRuben/status/490355853879300096

"OAKLAND! Your 2014 World Series Champions. Congratulations. (Yes, I'm calling it now)"

This was posted 2 weeks ago. More confident of that than ever now.

Tyrone Biggums · Jul 31, 2014

He's a FA next year and in desperate need for a power bat. I really like it despite his declining OBP. Still pretty young.

Pxer · Jul 31, 2014

wibi said:
Entitled much? I have your pink hat for you when you are ready

No, the market inefficiency is still shaded towards guys on their pre-arb deals. Prospects would've been preferred.

knucklecup · Jul 31, 2014

Oakland now has the poor man's Johnny Gomes in Nate Freiman, and now has the real life version too.

Bongorific · Jul 31, 2014

Welcome Manny v2.0

smastroyin · Jul 31, 2014

Can we cut the shit on the I'm a better fan than you posts.? And by cut the shit I mean stop. In case that's not clear.

Snodgrass'Muff · Jul 31, 2014

MakMan44 said:
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/494843875639697408

Passan says their comp pick is coming our way too.

So they essentially replaced the QO comp pick they lost by not keeping Lester. Nice.

P'tucket rhymes with... · Jul 31, 2014

If they're not flipping Cespedes for something else, they've lost their minds. He's a sexy name who does nothing for a rebuilding process. I'd rather have a comp pick.

joe dokes · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
Yeah his OBP has been less than stellar.

My only guess is that Beane and Howe couldn't agree on how best to use him so this is Beane fixing the problem.

Like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Art Howe is no longer with the A's.

470 SLG% is top 20 in the AL. And with RH power at a premium and the Sox lacking it, Cespedes seems like a good return.

Reggie's Racquet · Jul 31, 2014

He is one of five Cuban All stars.
Could this be a prelude to a Marlins blockbuster?

Rovin Romine · Jul 31, 2014

MakMan44 said:
Snod, we've got 3 people with links that says he isn't arb eligible after 2015.

https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/494845040087552000

Olney saying the same thing too.

I made that four. Clearly my google search/posting speed skills cannot compete with this crowd.

mfried · Jul 31, 2014

bosockboy said:
The Cardinals desperately need RF production....I think this might be a flip later today.....just a hunch.

I don't see it. We had no power from the outfield. Now we have some. My only fear is that this guy will have Gomes-like resistance to hitting the occasional liner to RF. Please make him more like Napoli than Gomes.

Bongorific · Jul 31, 2014

Similar to Pitt, Oakland is one of the few destinations that leaves open the possibility of the Sox signing Lester back after the season. I still think it's less than 10% chance. But I'm saying there's a chance.

glennhoffmania · Jul 31, 2014

Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
Every player not named Mike Trout has warts. Including Lester (FA to be) and Gomes (platoon player, oafish in the field).

rodderick said:
How would we get a major league everyday player without warts for 2 months of Lester?

Guys, let's not turn this thread into a various side fights. I'm not against the deal and I think it's pretty reasonable. I like Cespedes. But his OBP is not good. I'd rather have him for next year than a prospect that we can only hope may end up being as good as him. A .300 OBP is a pretty major deficiency however. I'm hoping that the coaching staff can help him become more selective between now and April.

Stan Papi Was Framed · Jul 31, 2014

glennhoffmania said:
Don't get me wrong. I like the guy. I've been following him all year. I'm just saying it's not like they got a great all around player. He has his warts.

sure, he's not perfect, but he has power (a rarity right now, as SJH pointed out) check out this article on his arm--fangraphs says "Yoenis Cespedes has been one of the most valuable defensive outfielders in baseball this season" (because of his arm, which makes up for other defensive shortcomings).

Scoots McBoots · Jul 31, 2014

P'tucket said:
I'd rather have a comp pick.

We got that, too, so...there's that.

Passan reporting Lester/Gomes to the A's for Cespedes

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