Yoenis Cespedes Gains Residency in Dominican Republic
By Editorial Staff
Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com is reporting that Cuban outfielder Yoennis Cespedes has established residency in the Dominican Republic. This is one of the final steps in Cespedes’s march toward the open market, and Edgar Mercedes, Yoennis’s representative in the DR, is saying that they are now waiting for Major League Baseball to declare the 26-year-old a free agent.
It appears that the bidding will soon begin for the highly touted Cuban native. Cespedes has been praised throughout the offseason for his athletic abilities and raw power. Some have called Cespedes a potential 30-30 guy while others have compared his build to that of an NFL running back.
Though Cespedes has yet to be declared a free agent, much talk has surrounded the outfielder’s potential landing spot and contract.
Many expect Cespedes to sign a deal eclipsing the $30.25 million Aroldis Chapman received from the Cincinnati Reds in January of 2010. Some even speculate Cespedes’s potential contract could more than double this amount if the bidding goes in his favor.
As far as the list of clubs interested in Cespedes, it’s probably easier to say who’s not in on Yoennis than who is. Every club has reportedly checked in on Cespedes, and two weeks ago the slugger told reporters that the Marlins, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles, Tigers and Indians had all expressed “more interest” in him than others.
Recent reports have the Cubs as the leading suitors for Cespedes, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports wrote yesterday that the Marlins, Cubs and Tigers have all been the “most active” on Cespedes of late.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.