Yoennis Cespedes Is Billy Beane’s Multi-Million Dollar Trade Chip
The Oakland A’s sent shock waves through the league yesterday when they signed the Cuban outfielder, Yoennis Cespedes. Cespedes, 26, has been playing in the Cuban Leagues since he was a teenager. Cespedes’ numbers in Cuba are impressive, but according to a lot of MLB scouts, Cuba is similar to level-A ball. Nevertheless, when you look at Cespedes’ statistics, you see a player who has the potential to be one of the best sluggers in baseball. And this is why Billy Beane signed the defector to a four-year deal, totaling 36 million dollars. The only question I have for Beane is why?
The A’s aren’t going to compete any time soon, even with a loaded system. The major league talent on the A’s is average at best, and they basically lost every single player that produced for them last season. Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill – their two best pitchers – were traded, along with their closer, Andrew Bailey. They lost Josh Willingham and David DeJesus through free agency, and their best returning position player has never played a full season before (Weeks). Also, they are playing in the AL West, a division that has two fantastic teams in the Angels and Rangers.
So, like a criminal profiler, I plan on going inside the mind of Billy Beane to decipher an answer to this madness. With a short time thinking, the answer is pretty clear to me. Billy Beane paid 36-million dollars to trade him.
This is Beane’s modus operandi, folks. Cespedes doesn’t meet into the A’s game-plan whatsoever (unless something miraculous happens). The Rangers and Angels have this division on lock down. The A’s simply don’t have enough ammunition to compete with these two juggernauts. Essentially, the A’s are bringing a knife to a gun fight.
Beane knows this.
The reason Beane can take a huge gamble is because of the great job security he has. Beane’s beloved in Oakland – and not only that – he’s probably the only GM crazy enough to work with these financial restrictions year in and year out. This is a huge gamble because Cespedes could flame out. Leaving the strapped Oakland A’s on the hook, with a sunk cost of nine million dollars a year. But, that isn’t Beane’s train of thought. His train of thought is a bizzaro version of Moneyball.
Beane is going to spend the money in order to trade for cost-controlled young talent. When Cespedes’ four-year contract is over, he is going to become a free agent. As Rick Pitino said (in a way), Jason Giambi isn’t walking through that door, neither is Tim Hudson or Barry Zito. The A’s are not going to win in four years, so why not trade a five-tool outfielder for three to four pre-arbitration players.
This is the only way the A’s can succeed right now.
In the big picture, Cespedes isn’t going to put the A’s over the hump, but the blue-chippers Beane will trade him for might.
The 36-million dollar trade chip. Beane is crazy.
Crazy like a fox.
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