Cuban Outfielder Cespedes Reaches $36 Million Deal With A’s, CBS Reports
The Oakland Athletics agreed with Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on a four-year, $36 million contract, CBS Sports reported without saying where it obtained the information.
The 26-year-old Cespedes, who shares the Cuban League’s single-season home run record with 32, became a Major League Baseball free agent on Jan. 25. He was waiting to be legally cleared by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control before signing with a team, according to the report.
Athletics spokesman Bob Rose said in an e-mail that the team had no comment.
The Athletics are undergoing changes after missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. General Manager Billy Beane parted ways with starting pitchers Trevor Cahill, Guillermo Moscoso, and Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey. He also let starting outfielder Josh Willingham and designated hitter Hideki Matsui leave via free agency.
Cespedes established legal residence in the Dominican Republic before coming to the U.S. He was pursued by MLB teams including the Miami Marlins, who offered the outfielder a six- year, $36 million contract last weekend, according to CBS.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eben Novy-Williams in New York at enovywilliam@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net
Rate this Page