MLB Free Agents 2012: Scouting Cuban Baseball Stud Yoenis Cespedes

There weren't many loose ends to wrap up on the 2012 MLB free-agent market, save for one big one: Yoenis Cespedes.

Casual baseball fans won't be overly familiar with the name, but Cespedes has been generating some pretty significant buzz within baseball circles for years. Tales of his exploits in Cuba cast him as a legend, and it is whispered that he could be a superstar in the major league ranks.

On Monday, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported that Cespedes has agreed to terms with the Oakland Athletics. The A's are signing him to a four-year contract worth $36 million.

So who exactly is this guy?

Glad you asked. We're not talking about a mystery, but we are dealing with a player who could use an introduction.

The best way to do that is to do a full-on scouting report, and the best way to put one of those together is to study Cespedes' personal 20-minute highlight reel (contains some NSFW language):

Hitting

I have no doubt that Cespedes has a charming personality, but teams are going to be interested in him mainly because of what he can do with his bat. In short, he can hit the ball a looooong way.

That's no accident. It's self-evident that Cespedes is a big dude from top to bottom. He's got an upper body like Wily Mo Pena's and tree-trunk legs not unlike Bo Jackson's. Cespedes is able to put a lot of power into his swing, and he can generate a lot of power with it.

Slowed down, you can see that Cespedes has a nice, short little stride as his timing mechanism, and he gets his front foot down with plenty of time to react. When he swings, the violence of it pushes his momentum forward to the point where his back foot actually comes off the ground. It's not perfect, but hey, Gary Sheffield got away with that for years.

As a whole, Cespedes' swing reminds me more of Sammy Sosa's back in the day, except a little longer. That's a slight concern, but the way in which the ball jumps off Cespedes' bat when he makes contact makes it worth it. Same goes for his ability to hit for power to all fields.

Can Cespedes hit for average? That's something we really won't know until he's facing major league pitching on a regular basis. The pitching is going to be significantly more challenging in the States than it ever was in Cuba.

Speed/Range

So Cespedes can hit. But can he run?

Yes he can.

The video times Cespedes running 60 yards in 6.3 seconds, which is pretty darn fast. Cespedes would hold up in a footrace against the fastest NFL running backs, never mind most baseball players.

It's hard to think of a current MLB player who is both as big and as fast as Cespedes. The best comparison is, you guessed it, Bo Jackson. When he was healthy, he could fly.

There's some footage of Cespedes shagging fly balls in the outfield. None of it really shows off his range, but he does show off a quick first step and impressive acceleration. When the ball is hit, he's going to get after it in a hurry.

Cespedes played center field for the Cuban team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Judging from how he looks on video, I don't see why he wouldn't be able to handle center field duties in the majors.

That said, I wonder if it would be a better idea to put him in right field to help save some wear and tear on his legs. He's fast, but he's carrying a lot more weight than your average center fielder.

Arm Strength

I wish Cespedes' highlight reel showcased his arm strength a little more, but there is one clip in the blasted thing that is pretty telling.

Skip to about the 12:50 mark, and you'll see Cespedes field a ball in right center field and throw a dart to the third baseman that makes it there on the fly in the blink of an eye.

However, I'm suspicious. It looks like the throw got there a little too quickly, so I'm wondering if the video was sped up just a little bit.

Still, the ball got there on the fly from medium-depth right center, and it got there accurately. That's impressive.

Can Cespedes do it consistently? Your guess is as good as mine. The ability is there, though.

Summary

The book on Cespedes, such as it is, is that he's a freakish athlete who can hit for power, run, field and throw.

The tape doesn't lie. There's no reason for me to conclude otherwise. Cespedes has the physical tools he needs to be a great ballplayer, and he seems to have the talent as well.

But we have to be realistic here. We've seen all sorts of prospects with impressive physical tools and buckets of natural talent over the years, but not all of them have gone on to become great ballplayers. Relatively few of them have.

Cespedes is different because he's not some 18-year-old kid straight out of high school. He's 26 (or so they say), and he has plenty of experience under his belt. Transitioning into the major leagues will be a bit of a culture shock, but his learning curve is not going to be as formidable as a younger prospect's.

The big question once Cespedes signs a contract will be if he can hit consistently. We know he has Wily Mo Pena-like power, but that's not going to do him any good if he's swinging and missing as often as Wily Mo Pena. Cespedes needs to prove that he can make consistent contact against big league pitching.

Whoever signs Cespedes would be wise to give him some time to come into his own in the minors. But given his tremendous upside, he'll get an impressive contract, and he will be in the majors at some point in 2012.

Verdict: I love Cespedes' skill set, and there's no doubting his athleticism. Realistically, we're probably looking at a .260-.270 hitter who will hit 30-35 homers. If Cespedes ends up being capable of consistent contact, we're looking at a superstar.