IMO, it would be stupid move for Cubs to make a bigger offer and try to outbid Miami.
This guy is hit or miss player who woudn't be worth more then 6 years/$30M if he was Dominican or Japaneese, and even that would be a reach.

IMO, it would be stupid move for Cubs to make a bigger offer and try to outbid Miami.
This guy is hit or miss player who woudn't be worth more then 6 years/$30M if he was Dominican or Japaneese, and even that would be a reach.

I have to agree here. I like his potential, but 40 million is alot for a guy that has never played one MLB game. Alot of people like to try to adjust players numbers from lesser leagues (Japan, Cuba, Winter Ball), but there is no way of telling how a guy will perform in the majors until they actually reach the majors. Like I said in an earlier post, have we not learned anything from Fukudome. 

Please understand that I am not saying Kosule was not a useful major league talent, he was, just not a 4 year 48 million dollar useful major league talent. Could Cespedes end up being worth 40 million or more....sure...will he...?????? 

Please understand that I am not saying Kosule was not a useful major league talent, he was, just not a 4 year 48 million dollar useful major league talent.


why Kosuke Fukudome got so much was because he was projected to be a 20+ HR hitter along with being a .300 hitter



Could Cespedes end up being worth 40 million or more....sure...will he...??????


so far the Marlins offered him 6 yrs and 40 mil

one would have to wonder why when he came to the states during the week, no other teams made it a point to see or talk to him


did his stint in winterball put up a red flag or proceed with caution amongst teams with interest ??

5 for 35 1 HR and 10 K's


i personally think the Cubs would rather have 19 YO soler over cespedes and may just have a certain reasonable offer for cespedes and wont go over it to obtain him..

This pretty much covers alot of concerns.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/
12/2636817/yoenis-cespedes-may-be-t
he-great.html

 

BY CLARK SPENCER

CSPENCER@MIAMIHERALD.COM

His statistics are flashy. His promotional video is quirky and eye-catching. His blocky, muscular physique is impressive. He can hit a baseball to the moon, and he can also catch one behind his back.

Yoenis Cespedes is a marvel to behold. The Cuban outfielder is also, in the words of the man who could soon become his manager, a risk. “There are a lot of ifs [with Cespedes],” Ozzie Guillen told a Chicago radio station on Friday. “Whoever signs him is gambling.”

After playing the penny slots for years, the Marlins — with their gleaming new ballpark — have suddenly shifted to the high-stakes tables, throwing big cash at Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, trading for Carlos Zambrano, and whisking Guillen out of the Windy City. But by going after Cespedes, they’re spinning the roulette wheel.

In the 21 years since pitcher Rene Arocha led the wave, defectors from Cuba’s baseball program have experienced mixed results in the majors, with disappointments outnumbering success stories.

For every Livan Hernandez or Alexei Ramirez, there is more than one Michael Tejera or Jorge Toca. More than 30 players have reached the majors after fleeing the communist nation since 1991. Most failed to leave a mark. Of the position players who defected, none has been an All-Star.

Now Cespedes, who is being courted by the Marlins and a handful of other teams, will soon be taking aim on the big leagues.

“In many, if not most cases, Cuban players haven’t been busts so much as they’ve been systematically over-hyped during the signing process, which led to unrealistic expectations around Major League Baseball and in the media,” said Joe Kehoskie, a baseball agent and consultant who has followed the Cuban market since the late 1990s. “The vast majority of Cuba’s truly elite players have either stayed in Cuba for their entire careers or left Cuba too late to have a meaningful MLB career.”

That trend could be starting to change, he said.

Kehoskie said while Cuban position players have “underperformed” in the United States over the past 20 years, part of it can be attributed to Cuba’s use of aluminum bats for many years and the difficulty defectors had adapting to wood bats.

But he said the majors have seen better offensive results from more recent Cuban defectors, such as Ramirez, Kendrys Morales and Yunel Escobar, because of the country’s switch to wood a little more than 10 years ago.

Ramirez, who was Guillen’s shortstop with the White Sox, is a consistent .280 hitter who has averaged 17 home runs in his four big-league seasons. Before breaking his leg in a freakish walk-off home run celebration in 2010, Morales — a first baseman for the Angels — had a breakout season in 2009. He finished fifth in MVP voting after clubbing 34 home runs, driving in 108 runs and hitting .306.

Cespedes could turn out better than any of them.

COMPARISONS

He has been likened to Bo Jackson, a comparison Guillen rejects.

“Bo Jackson wasn’t a baseball player,” Guillen said of the former two-sport standout during Friday’s radio interview. “This kid is a baseball player. They compare him with [Raul] Mondesi. I think Mondesi was better than him. That’s my own opinion. Mondesi has a better arm, faster, but this kid is pretty good.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/
12/2636817/yoenis-cespedes-may-be-t
he-great.html#storylink=cpy

Blah blah blah.

A lot of talk now basically echoing what I said from the start.

Stupid move.

Marlins In Lead For Cespedes, Cubs Focused On Soler

By Steve Adams[February 12 at 9:43pm CST]

The Marlins are exchanging contract figures with 26-year-old Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, and two National League sources tell MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that the Cubs are no longer seriously in the mix. Chicago has apparently shifted its focus to 19-year-old Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, though he is not yet eligible for free agency.

Upon his recent visit to Miami, the Marlins made Cespedes an offer that was initially reported to exceed $40MM. That number has since been denied, and Frisaro confirms that the offer was under $40MM, saying the Fish are comfortable with a number in the $30-35MM range.

The Cubs, meanwhile, are willing to spend as much as $27.5MM to land Soler, though Frisaro's sources are unclear on the number of years they'd offer. New Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have already made one significant international splash this offseason, signing 18-year-old Cuban Gerardo Concepcion to a $7MM contract with another million dollars of incentives.




if the cubs land soler, this would end up being a pretty good off season landing 2 of the 3 hottest cuban players in concepcion and soler for the future..

Saw that one earlier Bearzs.  Though I'd offer 6/42 mil to drive up the bid on Cespedes.  No need to let the fish get him that cheap.

if the Cubs land soler, this would end up being a pretty good off season landing 2 of the 3 hottest cuban players in concepcion and soler for the future..

Well if Rizzo can adjust and hit like he did in AAA and Travis Wood gets over 10 wins as a starter vs a long reliever it would be a start at least.

The Cubs, meanwhile, are willing to spend as much as $27.5MM to land Soler, though Frisaro's sources are unclear on the number of years they'd offer.

I'd figure he would start in Daytona.  If he is good as he is hyped 2 years in the system.  At that point he would be 21.  I would want control for at least his first 6 years then to cover his arb years.  27 mil is alot for 19 yo.  with out having the same control that they would have drafting a guy out of HS.   

This came out of no where.

 

Athletics To Sign Yoenis Cespedes

By Mike Axisa [February 13 at 11:12am CST]

The Athletics continued their offseason stockpiling of young talent with the ultimate free agent addition, signing Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36MM contract that allows him to reach free agency at its conclusion.  Yahoo's Tim Brown first reported the agreement, while Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle added financial details.  Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group represents Cespedes.

As Olney and MLB.com's Scott Merkin remind us, the Athletics were among the finalists for Cuban players Aroldis Chapman and Alexei Ramirez in recent years (all Twitter links). MLB.com's Peter Gammons heard that Cespedes' representatives felt "the A's wanted him more than anyone else."

Cespedes, 26, became a free agent late last month and was recently unblocked by The Office of Foreign Asset Control according to Brown (on Twitter).  Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets Cespedes is expected to arrive in Phoenix for a physical in one to two weeks, and he's already cleared his age and identity investigation and has been drug tested.  Just last night we heard that the Marlins were in the lead for his services after showing him around their new ballpark, and Clark Spencer of The Miami Herald reports (on Twitter) that they offered him six years and $36MM.

Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.

 

This message has been removed by the administrator.

He went for the money completely. The A's, Marlins, and Mariners all offered 36 million. The Marlins and MAriners offered it over 6 years and the A's offered for 4 years. This is a huge risk because Oakland is a place where hitters go to die and the are saying he may have to spend some time in the minors. Well, he is going to be the highest paid minor leaguer if that happens.

funny how this off season been the mystery / unexpected teams year of signing players

guess thats what happens when the Yankees and redsox arent heavy players driving the price tag up on some of the medium range players.....


oakland over miami for same total money and 2 less yrs , guess he really didnt want to play in miami


and for just 4 yrs at 9 per  looks as if most teams who took an interest werent all that inpress

This is a huge risk because Oakland is a place where hitters go to die

i thought about that too, oakland not exactly a hitter friendly park.. be interesting to see how this ends up


 and the are saying he may have to spend some time in the minors. Well, he is going to be the highest paid minor leaguer if that happens.

yea the 4 yrs suprised me, he may end up spending most of the first year in the minors and if he struggles like he did in winterball he could end up staying all season...

The A's are a bad, bad team. Why would they stick him in the minors? Might as well throw him into the fire from day 1 to see what you have in your investment.

I am glad this happened. There was no way I wanted to Cubs to sign him. I have never been a fan of team giving that much cash for someone that hasn't shown what they can do against MLB talent.

Well it all depends on spring trainging. If he hits like crap in spring trainging then you are going to have to send him to minors for at least a short time. ESPN said they think Billy Beane's plan is to have him for like the first two years and when his stock is at an all-time high, trade him. Seems to be what Beane does a lot so def. see that as a possibility. I dont trust this guys age. Ill say it until I am blue in the face. I dont trust any of the players who come from Cuba or Dominican about their ageas. If they are willing to lie in little league baseball. They are willing to do it the rest of their life.

The A's are a bad, bad team. Why would they stick him in the minors? Might as well throw him into the fire from day 1 to see what you have in your investment.

thats true, but i wonder how long / patience they will be if he struggles right away



I am glad this happened. There was no way I wanted to Cubs to sign him. I have never been a fan of team giving that much cash for someone that hasn't shown what they can do against MLB talent.

i admit i was kinda indifference on him..  

i liked the possibilty of what he could bring  power, speed, etc..  

but wondered why it took this long ( 26 Yo) for him to be ready to come to the states and play in the majors ??

especially since were seeing alot of 18-20 YO making the move now from cuba..


then after his performance in winterball 5-35 1 HR 10 K's  , that kinda put up a caution with me..


so, im not dissapointed the cubs didnt sign him.. 

im hoping that they do get jorge soler (19), he young enough to where they can play him in the minors and let him adjust to being in the states , play pro ball , and learn more..
  cubs can give him a deal like they gave Jeff Samardzija 5 yrs with team option on 6th and 7th yr, this way they can control him..

oakland over miami for same total money and 2 less yrs , guess he really didnt want to play in miami

I think Bearzs99 sums it up best...this is a very odd move: (1) by the A's and (2) by Cespedes.

why Kosuke Fukudome got so much was because he was projected to be a 20+ HR hitter along with being a .300 hitter

 Very true.

The part I could not understand about that was in looking at him, tell me how do you figure him to hit with power. Ichiro shows little to no power and they have about the same swing and body type. Hideki Matsui is much bigger and put up huge HR totals over there, and here he was a 25 HR guy. What would make people think a smaller guy with far less demonstrated power was going to hit 20+ HR's is baffeling to me.

What would make people think a smaller guy with far less demonstrated power was going to hit 20+ HR's is baffeling to me.

my guess is they saw he hit 19 hr 140 games, 34/140, 23/92, 28/142, and 31/131 in a 5 yr stretch and figured he would project to a 20+ HR hitter over a 162 games season


 maybe age factors in a little bit..

he was in his mid to late 20's in japan when he was hitting for more power.. little younger and stronger, more zip/energy behind the swings..  who knows ??


maybe the next big japanese player to come about, we should take like 15-20 HR and 30-40 pts off their AVG from japan and that will give us a good idea of how they willl hit here   ; ))..

30 HR in japan  15 homeruns in majors,  a .300 hitter in japan .270 hitter in majors