Yoenis Cespedes’s Price Increasing
Yoennis Cespedes’s value is seemingly growing by the day. This weekend it was reported that Cespedes was set to make between $35-60 million on the open market this winter. It now appears that Cespedes’s baseline is increasing, as it has been reported that one team already has an eight-year offer on the table worth $10 million up front.
Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com hears from one international scout that Cespedes’s free agent contract will be worth $45 million. Knobler reported this weekend that Cespedes is expected to receive between $35 and $50 million on the open market, and personally he believes the 26-year-old will be receiving “quite a bit more” than the $45 million his source speculated.
A talent evaluator told Bob Elliot of the Toronto Sun that Cespedes is a “big-time tools guy” who is “going to get way over top $$$”. This scout believes Cespedes’s timing is “great since there are few top-tier free agents” available on the market.
There is no new information to report regarding Cespedes’s free agency status. Still, not being in the United States or on the open market hasn’t stopped Cespedes from meeting with teams.
This weekend ESPN.com reported that Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington visited Cespedes in the Dominican Republic to watch a private workout. Cherington wouldn’t reveal what the Red Sox thought of Cespedes, but said “it was a good chance to get to know him better”.
Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times is reporting that 60 to 70 scouts also made the trip to the DR last week to get a closer look at Cespedes.
While it’s too early to name a favorite in the Cespedes sweepstakes, the Marlins were the first team to send top officials to scout Yoennis in the Dominican. The Cubs were also scheduled to receive a private workout, and several other clubs figure to head down to the DR to get a closer look at this prized soon-to-be free agent.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.