Yoenis Cespedes Nearing Residency
By Editorial Staff
Cuban sensation Yoennis Cespedes is preparing to take another large step towards hitting Major League Baseball’s free agent market. According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, Cespedes “could be granted residency in the Dominican Republic” as early as this week. Cespedes is required to be granted residency before MLB will declare him a free agent. Rojas hears that the Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Orioles and Rangers are the clubs “most interested” in Cespedes.
Edgar Mercedes, Cespedes’s current representative in the DR, told Rojas that the 26-year-old has already been approved for temporary residence in the Dominican Republic. This has allowed Cespedes to conduct workouts for major league teams while waiting to hit the free agent market.
But, before he can do so, Cespedes needs to receive a license from the Office of Foreign Affairs Control. Such a license would, in the words of Rojas, allow Cespedes to become “unlocked” and thus eligible to sign with a major league team.
While the unlocking could “take two weeks”, Mercedes says by January Cespedes will be “authorized to sign”. Mercedes and the rest of Cespedes’s representation have said all along that they expect the Cuban native to be with a major league team by spring training.
Cespedes, listed as a center fielder, has been one of Major League Baseballs’ centers of attention this offseason. Said to be built like a running back, Cespedes has been praised for his power and athleticism. While some believe he may eventually have to move to a corner outfield spot, analysts have also said that Cespedes has 30-30 potential.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.