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

[Leather]

FYI,
 
Cespedes is signed through 2015.  His salary next year is $10.5 Million.   He will be 29 throughout next season.

 

[rodderick]

Cespedes is an extreme fly ball hitter, and also tends to pull the ball. He has a good chance of mashing at Fenway. Like this trade.

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

Gomes was traded? Terrible move

Quick, somebody needs to make sure Rembrat is ok

 

[DJnVa]

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

 

[MakMan44]

So now we'll have a big debate about extending an OF into his 30s.

Exactly. Weird move all around. 

 

[ElcaballitoMVP]

Ben you crazy son of a gun! Cespedes?!?!

 

[wibi]

If only they could have just bought Cespedes... those kind of players are never available for cash.

 
Stop.  You would have fileted the FO had they signed Cespedes when he came from Cuba. 

 

[glennhoffmania]

Cespedes? Not exactly a guy who works the count or gets on bad, but I'm intrigued

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.

 

[knucklecup]

I like it.

 

[j44thor]

Are we that excited about a LF with a sub .300 OBP the last two seasons?

 

[wibi]

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

 
My response in the other thread
 
All you haters who didnt trust Ben and the FO please line up for your pink hats

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

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

This FO continues to be an embarrassment

 

[BornToRun]

Well played, Cherington.

This is also awesome because I was already rooting for the A's to win it all and this just enhances that.

 

[Pxer]

FYI,
 
Cespedes is signed through 2015.  His salary next year is $10.5 Million.   He will be 29 throughout next season.

He is arbitration-eligible in 2016 & 2017. 3.5 years of team control. Meh.
 
EDIT: This is apparently untrue due to a clause in his contract. Signed thru 2015 only. Double meh.

 

[MakMan44]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/494842943291678720
 
Passan confirming the report. 

 

[MillarTime]

Wow. Excellent trade Ben. Billy Beane has stones!

 

[Fred in Lynn]

Someone have a Cespedes spray chart? Curious how the Monster will serve him.

 

[In my lifetime]

So now we'll have a big debate about extending an OF into his 30s.

 
He is not free agent eligible until 2018, so the debate does not have to start today
 
Well that was from baseball reference.  Passan states free agent after 2015, BR states arb eligible in 2016.

 

[Corsi]

 

Red Sox Stats ‏@redsoxstats  1m
Cespedes is signed for $10.5M next year then is arbitration eligible in 2016 and 2017.
 

 

[SouthernBoSox]

Whaaaaat?

This was one of those things that we joked about.

And it happened

 

[gammoseditor]

According to Cots Cespedes is eligible for free agency after next year and not eligible for arbitration.  Not saying it's a bad deal, but only one year of control for a guy whose not a superstar is less than I thought we'd get.

 

[YouLookAdopted]

Well I think the chances of Lester falling in love with Oakland are remote. Sign him in the off season.

 

[Corsi]

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

 
meh?

 

[oumbi]

So, is this now officially the "Gomes trade"?

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

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

What's the plan? He's not much younger than Lester and isn't very patient at the plate.
 
(But yes, better move than expected)

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

RH power bat, but low OBP. 

 
He's a flyball hitter, so his BABIPs are lowish; that's part of it. Fenway should help with that. His BB rates are not good but they're not that bad (career 7.0%).

 

[Coachster]

Are we that excited about a LF with a sub .300 OBP the last two seasons?

Will he play left here? With that gun?

 

[glennhoffmania]

According to Cots Cespedes is eligible for free agency after next year and not eligible for arbitration.  Not saying it's a bad deal, but only one year of control for a guy whose not a superstar is less than I thought we'd get.

 
Wait is this true?

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Cespedes actually hits better in the Oakland Mausoleum than he does on the road.
 
Seems like he would hit well at Fenway, but in the mere 26 at-bats he's had here so far he hasn't. Miniscule sample size, etc.
 
Speaking of tiny sample sizes, he has a .998 OPS against the Yankees in 72 PAs.

 

[nattysez]

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

 
The team is in last place and just traded their best asset for a guy who is a free agent after next season.  So...yeah.

 

[yecul]

When the Red Sox sign Lester back this offseason we'll all have an even bigger laugh.

 

[bosockboy]

Beane will find another bat today...Rios maybe?
 
Huge stones move on both sides.

 

[MakMan44]

According to Cots Cespedes is eligible for free agency after next year and not eligible for arbitration.  Not saying it's a bad deal, but only one year of control for a guy whose not a superstar is less than I thought we'd get.

I could have sworn it was reported that he had a clause in his contract that made him a FA after it ended. 

 

[YouLookAdopted]

According to Cots Cespedes is eligible for free agency after next year and not eligible for arbitration.  Not saying it's a bad deal, but only one year of control for a guy whose not a superstar is less than I thought we'd get.

If that is true, perhaps he's being flipped.

 

[EdRalphRomero]

Are we that excited about a LF with a sub .300 OBP the last two seasons?

BRef currently has Cespedes slash line for 2014 at .256/.303/.464.

Career is it .262/.318/.470

 

[Grin&MartyBarret]

Are we that excited about a LF with a sub .300 OBP the last two seasons?

 
Can anybody provide a defensive rundown on Cespedes?

 

[gammoseditor]

Link to Cots, saying he's a free agent in a year.
 
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-west/oakland-athletics/

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

Well I think the chances of Lester falling in love with Oakland are remote. Sign him in the off season.

But Oakland dimensions may fall in love with him, hoping Felix falters a little and the CY is Jon's.

 

[bluefenderstrat]

Power and nice D, but sub .300 OBP for 2 years running kind of sucks.   Maybe there's a handshake on Lester's return to Boston next year so trading partners truly only expect 2 months out of him.

 

[Corsi]

If that is true, perhaps he's being flipped.

 
Lackey and Cespedes for Stanton.

 

[Seels]

Really don't care for this deal unless there is a follow up deal. Cespedes does nothing for me.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Are we that excited about a LF with a sub .300 OBP the last two seasons?

 
He's got a good arm http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/yoenis-cespedes-run-saving-right-arm/ - so he could play RF in Fenway with JBJ shading toward him.  Plus he's got some slugging ability.  

 

[Sox and Rocks]

This will forever be the Gomes trade, ala the Punto trade

 

[Detts]

 

[rodderick]

 
The team is in last place and just traded their best asset for a guy who is a free agent after next season.  So...yeah.

 
Why do I have the feeling that had they gotten prospects this sentence would like like: "The team is in last place and just traded their best asset for a bunch of guys in A ball.  So...yeah."

 

[johnnywayback]

He is not free agent eligible until 2018, so the debate does not have to start today

 
And you can have a conversation with him about a deal buying out his last two years of arbitration and first year or two of free agency.  In other words, we don't have to get locked into paying for his age 34 and 35 seasons.  If we decide we like him, that is.
 
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?
 
EDIT: Crap.  Never mind, if what people are saying about the FA clause is true.  Still like the trade.

 

[glennhoffmania]

BRef currently has Cespedes slash line for 2014 at .256/.303/.464.

Career is it .262/.318/.470

Yeah well that isn't all that inspiring.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Ben wins the offseason trade deadline!
 
But seriously, Cespedes? In a Sox uniform? Fucking awesome.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I have no words. Resign Lester after the season and good job Ben.

 

[MakMan44]

 
Wait is this true?

Yes. I don't know if it's true for the Sox, but it was for the A's.
 
http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120213&content_id=26674580&vkey=news_oak&c_id=oak
 

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.