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Report: Yoenis Cespedes' Half-Brother Yoelqui Set to Sign White Sox Contract
December 22, 2020
Yoelkis Cespedes, the half brother of New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, is reportedly set to join the Chicago White Sox.
Per MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez, Cespedes will receive a $2 million signing bonus from the White Sox.
The White Sox continue to invest in young talent after making the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.
MLB.com ranked Cespedes as the best international prospect in 2020:
"While in Cuba, Cespedes was known primarily as a plus runner, a solid defender and a line-drive hitter who can spray the ball across the outfield. He's revamped his swing since defection, and now looks almost exactly like his older brother in the batter's box. He's also added at least 15 pounds of muscle and it's resulted in more power and explosive bat speed. Yoelqui is represented by Magnus Sports."
Sanchez previously reported the outfielder was cleared to sign with a team as a free agent starting March 18 after defecting from Cuba in June 2019.
Prior to his defection, the 22-year-old played three seasons with Alazanes de Granma of the Cuban National Series from 2015-18. He made his debut at the age of 17 and posted a .273/.334/.411 slash line in 169 games, per Baseball Reference.
Major League Baseball fans got a brief glimpse of what Cespedes is capable of during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He played six games for Cuba, hitting .250 with an opposite-field double against China:
While not as physically imposing as Yoenis was when he signed with the Oakland Athletics in 2012, Yoelkis boasts a lot of the on-field tools that have made his 34-year-old half brother a two-time All-Star.
In February, Sanchez offered this scouting report on the younger Cespedes:
"As for Yoelkis, he was known primarily as a plus runner, a solid defender and a line-drive hitter who can spray the ball across the outfield. He has revamped his swing in the last six months and now looks almost exactly like his older brother in the batter's box. The 5-foot-9 outfielder once weighed around 185 pounds, but he is now up to 205 with power. He can still run."
Few teams have been better at acquiring and developing young talent in Major League Baseball than the White Sox. Cespedes joins a nucleus that includes reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Nick Madrigal and Luis Robert.
The White Sox will be hoping Cespedes is able to translate that potential into performance. He may have to spend some time in the minors to hone his ability against advanced pitching, but his age and raw potential give him the ability to be an impact player for a team with World Series aspirations in 2021.