Can newly acquired Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes save the Oakland Athletics franchise? It may be too early to declare Cespedes a savior, but it's a safe bet he'll be an immediate All-Star. Scouts have deemed the 26-year-old a five-tool player who will be successful in Major League Baseball. The Athletics paid $36 million for four years of service to find out. Signing an eight-figure contract without ever playing a game on this level will bring high expectations. The speculation and hype only make it more of a challenge. Here are seven reasons Cespedes will meet those expectations, and represent Oakland ...
With Spring Training 2012 in its infancy, a surprising story is developing. The Oakland A’s are actually a team to pay attention to. After Billy Beane and company cleaned house by shipping out Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey for two fistfuls of prospects, the A’s future appeared bleak. While the A’s ability to compete is still very much in question, their appeal has skyrocketed. The A’s shocked the baseball world by signing highly talented, but extremely risky, Cuban sensation Yoenis Céspedes to a four-year contract worth $36 million.The A’s came out of nowhere to grab the player who ...
After years of poor performance, underwhelming results and a core that was going to start getting more expensive, Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane decided to blow up the whole thing and rebuild the franchise. The farm system was muddled in the middle of the pack prior to the offseason, but all the trades and signing of Yoenis Cespedes have made them significantly stronger and brought optimism back to the bay. Of course, where this team is playing by the time their top talent makes his big league debut remains unclear. Ownership wants a stadium in San Jose, but the San Francisco ...
Every now and then something happens in the sports world that just leaves me shaking my head in wonder. Today I am wondering why any Major League Baseball team would give Manny Ramirez another chance.When I read on ESPN.com that the Oakland Athletics have a strong interest in signing the slugger, I had to read the story again to make sure I had the correct Ramirez in mind. Why? Why would any team sign him? That was the first thought I had after realizing I had the correct player in mind. As a true-blue Dodgers fan it doesn't really affect ...
It is important that when the A's get their new ballpark, they do not screw it up. Below is a detailed list of what should be done to ensure said ballpark is a hit with the fans:Pick a name and stick with itSince Cisco, as mentioned, is partnering with the A's and has been for a while, this shouldn't be a problem. I understand $1 million is a ton of money for a franchise like the A's, but seriously...Overstock.com Coliseum? Makes your mouth dry and wastes time just saying it (O.co isn't much better in either aspect). It's difficult to believe the simplistic Overstock ...
One is large. One is small.While not twins, both are 46 and both underwent major makeovers in 1996; unlike the small one, the large one's new look left plenty to be desired.Any and all compliments directed toward the large one's beauty ceased post-makeover. The small one isn't necessarily a knockout, but easily compensates for any physical imperfections by being a regular source of excitement, attracting people from throughout the area looking for fun times.The large one doesn't have much of a future; the combination of age, money issues, and of younger, prettier competitors sprouting up left and right have pushed ...
Somehow the Oakland Athletics have managed to confound its already thin fan base yet again. True to form, the A’s surprisingly won a free agent sweepstakes—that nobody knew they were in—after frugally offloading a multitude of their own players earlier this winter. Trading pitchers Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow for scraps? Boo. Re-signing fan favorite left-handed starter Dallas Braden? Hooray! Trading All-Star pitcher Gio Gonzalez for prospects? Boo. Re-signing free agent center fielder Coco Crisp? Yay! Trading away closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney for utility players? Boo. Signing the red-hot free agent Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes? Hooray? It’s ...
Manny Ramirez has spent the last two months trying to find a team that is willing to take a chance on signing him.The Oakland A's are making big changes to their roster late in the offseason, so it is no surprise that they would jump in on the disgraced slugger. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A's are going hard after Ramirez and expect to strike a deal with him soon:
"Crisp might find himself welcoming another new teammate soon, a man he knows well. The A's are likely to sign former Boston star Manny Ramirez just before ...
Over the years, the Oakland A's have parted ways with some serious talent. Sometimes this was just trading a prospect they underestimated for a veteran they ultimately overvalued; but generally it was due to budgetary reasons. If the A's had the payroll of, say, the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox, it's possible that their currently weak lineup could've been filled with multiple All-Stars.I obviously have hindsight on my side, but just to play devil's advocate, I thought it would be interesting to see just what the A's might've looked come 2012 Opening Day if payroll wasn't an issue. ...
The Oakland Athletics did with Yoenis Cespedes what the Los Angeles Angels did with Albert Pujols and the Detroit Tigers did with Prince Fielder. They swooped in out of left field and stole him.As it was first reported by Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the A's signed Cespedes to a four-year contract worth $36 million on Monday. It's not the kind of deal any of us expect Billy Beane to make given his track record, and it goes without saying that he's rolling the dice in a big way.But what the heck? As Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports argued, the ...