Céspedes: A New Hope

After a full off-season of moves to save payroll and gain prospects, the A's have done the unthinkable and signed Yoenis Céspedes. That's right, the Oakland Athletics spent money and won a sweepstakes on a highly coveted nationally targeted prospect. Quick, everyone check and make sure pigs aren't flying outside. This is not the kind of guy that the A's get. This guy usually goes to one of the big market teams, or one of the teams with a little extra money lying around. Most people thought Yoenis would be a Marlin, but maybe they ran out of money. Instead, the also rans, the Oakland A's have made what probably will be the last big free agent splash this offseason.



As I'm sure you're all well aware, Céspedes, 26, is projected as a five-tool centerfielder. In a perfect world, he has a fantastic spring and earns the starting centerfield job for the A's, bats third, and hits 28 HR and 100 RBI. In the Cuban league last year, he hit 33 HR (a Cuban league record) while hitting .333 and driving in 99 RBI. Those are fantastic numbers for a 90 game season, though it doesn't quite measure up to the majors in talent level. Either way, this signing makes me feel like this.



Why is this? After seeing Bailey, Gonzalez, Cahill, and Willingham (read: the best four players on the team) leave this offseason, A's fans were beginning to sink into a deep depression. I'll be the first to say that this signing does not mean that the A's are automatically playoff contenders. It doesn't mean that they'll come away with a winning record. It doesn't even mean that Céspedes will turn out to be what the organization wants him to be. But, it does mean that the A's and their loyal fans have something to be excited about.

2012 will probably not be the most successful for the A's. The Angels and Rangers both spent hundreds of millions in order to contend for the AL Pennant. By contrast, the A's sold their best pieces in order to build what could be a fantastic team in 2014 or 2015. But signing Cespy means the A's haven't entirely thrown in the towel. Uncle Lew opened his purse just a little bit in order to get a guy who could potentially be a centerpiece of a team, and if that doesn't make you swell with pride for the green and gold, then you must be a Giants fan.

The one burning question is why. Why spend 36 million on a guy who may be a total bust (re: Ariel Prieto), especially after sending away most of the pieces that might have made you successful this year? The one thing the A's have been missing for some time is a credible home run threat. With the numbers Cespy might put up, why not take a chance on a guy who, at 9 million a year, could be a huge bargain. Either way, the A's now control him for four years, so he'll get a chance to develop with the rest of the youngsters over the next year or two, then can be the star in the lineup that is ready to contend in 2014. Or, if he develops and others sputter, he might be able to net a lot more talent for the next rebuild.

The A's and the moneyball philosophy require a lot of gambles, and this is the next one. There's no reason yet to be anything but excited to see how it plays out.

And here's your song. Happy Valentine's Day!