A's spend big on Yoenis Cespedes, with a nod to Moneyball

A's spend big on Yoenis Cespedes, with a nod to Moneyball Comments By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Updated 31m ago Oakland A's co-owner Lew Wolff took the unusual step to hold one-on-one talks with team followers during this year's revived FanFest two weeks ago, and he undoubtedly heard plenty of complaints about the team stripping off its talent base in its latest rebuilding effort.His response? Spending $36 million on Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.The move came as a shock partly because the A's were not even in the periphery of clubs supposedly wooing the multi-tooled Cespedes, but also because they had clearly indicated their intention to restructure the team so it could contend again when it moved to a hoped-for new stadium in San Jose.So, why then sign Cespedes to a four-year deal that will allow him to leave as a free agent before such a ballpark is built? The A's agreed not to offer Cespedes arbitration when the deal expires in 2015, or one year before Wolff said a new ballpark could open, if they get approval from MLB relatively soon.Considering the A's did not enter serious negotiations for Cespedes until late, it's possible the prospect of another year with the majors' worst attendance – an average of a little over 18,000 at the decrepit Coliseum – persuaded Wolff to open the vault, which has $32 million in it from last year's revenue-sharing take.But it's also quite likely general manager Billy Beane, who recently got a contract extension through 2019, saw a possible bargain in Cespedes.The A's have been surprisingly aggressive in going after upper-end Cuban talent in recent years, pursuing Alexei Ramirez before he signed with the Chicago White Sox and finishing a close second to the Cincinnati Reds in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes.Beane's reasoning was that, if those players panned out as the A's expected based on the club's assessment of their talent, they would have been proven a more efficient investment than established major leaguers of similar ability.In other words, this is the A's latest attempt at employing the Moneyball strategy of finding an inefficiency in the market.It's not unlike the bargain teams strike when they sign promising players with only a season or two of major league experience to multiyear deals. If the team's projections are right, the player will outperform his contract, but there's always the risk his play will diminish or he'll get hurt.With a backloaded deal that will pay Cespedes $6.5 million in his first year, $8.5 million in the second and $10.5 million in each of the last two, the A's are gambling that he'll be at least a 20-home run, 80-90-RBI player by the second half of his contract.At that point, depending on their standing and stadium prospects, they might seek an extension or look to trade him.Of course, Cespedes will start the season as the A's highest-paid player, so they desperately hope he'll deliver pretty soon, and preferably make the team out of spring training this season instead of requiring a long stint in the minors to adjust to pro ball in the U.S.Oakland's roster does not include a single player who hit more than 15 home runs in the majors last season. Cespedes' 33 were tops in the Cuban league, and he batted .333 and drove in 99 runs.The A's are gambling $36 million those numbers will translate in the majors without a huge dropoff. Athletics general manager Billy Beane has made forays into the Cuban market before; this time, he got his man in Yoenis Cespedes.CAPTIONBy Kyle Terada, US PRESSWIREOakland Athletics co-owner Lew Wolff took the unusual step to hold one-on-one talks with team followers during this year's revived FanFest two weeks ago, and he undoubtedly heard plenty of complaints about the team stripping off its talent base in its latest rebuilding effort. His response? Spending $36 million on Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. The move came as a shock partly because the A's were not even in the periphery of clubs supposedly wooing the multi-tooled Cespedes, but also because they had clearly indicated their intention to restructure the team so it could contend again when it moved to a hoped-for new stadium in San Jose. So, why then sign Cespedes to a four-year deal that will allow him to leave as a free agent before such a ballpark is built? The A's agreed not to offer Cespedes arbitration when the deal expires in 2015, or one year before Wolff said a new ballpark could open, if they get approval from MLB relatively soon. Considering the A's did not enter serious negotiations for Cespedes until late, it's possible the prospect of another year with the majors' worst attendance – an average of a little over 18,000 at the decrepit Coliseum – persuaded Wolff to open the vault, which has $32 million in it from last year's revenue-sharing take. But it's also quite likely general manager Billy Beane, who recently got a contract extension through 2019, saw a possible bargain in Cespedes. The A's have been surprisingly aggressive in going after upper-end Cuban talent in recent years, pursuing Alexei Ramirez before he signed with the Chicago White Sox and finishing a close second to the Cincinnati Reds in the Aroldis Chapman sweepstakes. Beane's reasoning was that, if those players panned out as the A's expected based on the club's assessment of their talent, they would have been proven a more efficient investment than established major leaguers of similar ability. In other words, this is the A's latest attempt at employing the Moneyball strategy of finding an inefficiency in the market. It's not unlike the bargain teams strike when they sign promising players with only a season or two of major league experience to multiyear deals. If the team's projections are right, the player will outperform his contract, but there's always the risk his play will diminish or he'll get hurt. With a backloaded deal that will pay Cespedes $6.5 million in his first year, $8.5 million in the second and $10.5 million in each of the last two, the A's are gambling that he'll be at least a 20-home run, 80-90-RBI player by the second half of his contract. At that point, depending on their standing and stadium prospects, they might seek an extension or look to trade him. Of course, Cespedes will start the season as the A's highest-paid player, so they desperately hope he'll deliver pretty soon, and preferably make the team out of spring training this season instead of requiring a long stint in the minors to adjust to pro ball in the USA. Cespedes, 26, also joins the club at a time it is acquiring players far younger than he, dealing top pitchers Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez and Andrew Bailey this winter for prospects. Oakland's roster does not include a single player who hit more than 15 home runs in the majors last season. Cespedes' 33 were tops in the Cuban league, and he batted .333 and drove in 99 runs. The A's are gambling $36 million those numbers will translate in the majors without a huge dropoff.