With Spring Training starting up in less than one month, free agent signings are starting to come down to the wire. But unlike in most other years, there are still a few big names left on the market; starters Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson are both still trying to get big deals, and Cuban prospect Yoenis Cespedes is starting to receive some serious attention from clubs. Here’s a quick rundown on the recent news and rumors about Cespedes:
- The Detroit Tigers expressed interest in Cespedes in the past, but now that they have signed Prince Fielder, Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has said that they are “most likely” out of the Cespedes sweepstakes. That’s not a definitive no, but it’s difficult to imagine the Tigers want to take on even more financial risk.
- The Orioles are the latest team to express interest in Cespedes, and they plan on scouting him this upcoming week in the Dominican Republic. (Eduardo Encina, Baltimore Sun)
- The Miami Marlins have made it known to all that they plan to be aggressive in pursuing Cespedes, and this news hasn’t been lost on their players. The ever-outspoken Logan Morrison had a few words to say about Cespedes during a recent radio appearance:
“It’s hard for me to judge a player by watching him on YouTube, so I don’t really know what he can or can’t do,” Morrison said. "I’ve heard of the crazy power he has and what he looks like in all his stuff. But I’ve heard of guys that had crazy power and looked awesome in a uniform and don’t do crap on the field when the game starts.
“So I think that’s a big question mark, and it’s a big risk for the Marlins,”
It’s tough to disagree with Morrison’s logic. The Marlins have thrown caution to the wind this off-season, though, embracing risk in hopes of rejuvenating the franchise, so they may decide to go crazy with Cespedes regardless.