BOSTON The angst over trading Jon Lester disappeared on Thursday morning when two words surfaced in talks with the ace pitcher's name: Yoenis Cespedes.
The Red Sox shipped Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to Oakland in exchange for Cespedes and a competitive balance B pick in the 2015 June draft.
The 28-year-old Cuban outfielder brings a power bat, something the Red Sox had been sorely lacking aside from David Ortiz, and one of the best arms in the big leagues to Boston.
The right-handed hitter is batting just .256 with a .303 on-base percentage, but has 17 homers this season - three more than the current Red Sox outfield combined.
In his first three seasons in the majors, Cespedes hit 66 home runs while playing a majority of his games at the pitcher-friendly O.co Coliseum in Oakland.
Clearly offense has been an issue all year, everyone knows that," general manager Ben Cherington said on Thursday night after the trade deadline. "We knew that that was going to have to improve no matter what in different ways before next year."
Cherington noted the dearth of power bats on the impending free agent market this offseason was the impetus for acquiring one via trade.
"Well certainly still have things we need to do this winter," Cherington noted. "But hopefully weve gotten a little bit of a jumpstart, at least on adding to the offense.
Brooksbaseball.net shows Cespedes spray chart as pulling a majority of his home runs to left field, some of which may result in doubles off the wall at Fenway. While he hasn't necessarily been a doubles machine in his career, Cespedes already has 26 two-base hits this season, more than he had at the end of each of his first two seasons in Oakland.
In a three-game set earlier this season at Fenway, Cespedes went 3-for-11 with two doubles and two RBIs, two walks and four strikeouts. In six career games at Fenway, he's 6-for-24 with three doubles.
"(Cespedes) is a really powerful dynamic player in his prime who fits in our ballpark and the outfield," Cherington said.
"Power bat who hits the ball out to all parts of the park and should benefit from Fenway," Cherington added. "Hes going from a ballpark in Oakland that doesnt help power hitters quite as much as Fenway does. Were excited to have him."
Cespedes, who's played 82 of 101 games this season in left field, also brings one of the best arms in the game to Boston. He is tied with Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for most outfield assists (12) in the majors and is 11th in the majors among outfielders in defensive runs saved (9). Bradley Jr. is fourth with 14.
Cherington announced Thursday that it's likely Shane Victorino will "miss some time" with more back issues and said the disabled list is a possibility. In his absence, Cespedes, who's only played center and left in his career, will get time in right field. Newly-acquired Allen Craig will see time in left.
"Were not writing anything in stone as far as where that goes in the future," Cherington said. "Wed like to get both guys acclimated in that way and then well see where we are. Wed certainly hope weve added a lot of depth and possibilities for our outfield picture going forward."
The highest paid player on the A's roster this season, Cespedes is in the third year of four-year, $36 million deal he signed with Oakland prior to the 2012 season. According to Cots Baseball Contracts, he'll be paid $10.5 million this season and next season. He'll be eligible for free agency after 2015.
"This is a guy in the prime of his career who is a dynamic player," Cherington said. "Does a lot of different things well and certainly the type of guy we could envision wanting to have here longer."
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Source: http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2014/07/what_does_yoenis_cespedes_brin.html
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