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Oakland Athletics sign free agent Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to $36M deal

The Oakland Athletics have signed free agent Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year deal worth $36 million, according to a report on MLB.com

The deal will be official when 26-year old Cespedes passes a physical. 

The Athletics beat out a number of other teams in the Cespedes sweepstakes, including the Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox. 

Cespedes will likely play center field, which means that current center fielder Coco Crisp will probably move to left or right field. 

Cespedes is regarded to be a five-tool player and is considered by some to be the best prospect to come out of Cuba in a generation.

He played eight seasons for Granma in a Cuban League. He batted .458 for Cuba during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Last season, he batted .333, hit a league-record 33 home runs and drove in 99 runs in 90 games.

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, MLB Examiner

Bryn Swartz is a 22-year old senior at Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he is the sports editor of his college newspaper and a beat writer for two of the sports teams. He is an extremely avid Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fan, and his blog, Eagles Central, was named the...

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