Yoenis Cespedes to Make Spring Training Debut Today

Yoenis Cespedes’s major league timeline has been well documented.  First the Cuban defector announced his intent to make the jump and play Major League Baseball.  Then, after much anticipation, the league cleared Cespedes and announced his free agent status.  The Oakland Athletics were eventually the unexpected winners of the Cespedes sweepstakes.  Now, less than a week after he arrived in A’s camp, Cespedes is set to make his spring training debut for the club.

Cespedes and the A’s finalized their four-year, $36 million agreement last weekend when the slugger finally took his physical.  With this, Cespedes could jump into camp and show the world exactly what he could do against major league competition.

However, because he missed several days of camp due to lingering visa issues, Cespedes was forced to wait before he made his spring debut.  Now, after spending time on the back fields and in the batting cage, Cespedes is finally ready to play in a spring training contest.

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday that Cespedes is scheduled to start in center field today while batting second for the A’s.  Cespedes figures to get the “Yu Darvish” treatment, having each ball thrown to him or hit at him well documented.

While it’s not yet official, most are now anticipating that Cespedes will break camp with the A’s.  Initially, while Cespedes was going through the process of free agency, many said the 26-year-old needed additional seasoning in the minors.  However, with the way the A’s structured his contract, general manager Billy Beane recently hinted at the fact that Cespedes will get every opportunity to make Oakland’s Opening Day roster.

For more on the Athletics, be sure to check out Swingin’ A’s.

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