It is fun to think about Yoenis Cespedes making his return to the Oakland A’s. The team could use a designated hitter in the wake of Khris Davis‘ trade, and that role would be best for Cespedes at this point in his career. He would also be cheap, something that is important for the A’s.
As intriguing as a reunion would be, that is not going to be in the cards. They have not been in attendance at any of his showcases and do not plan to bring their former outfielder back into the fold.
A reunion with Yoenis Cespedes is not happening
Interestingly, it seems as though there would have been interest had situations been different. Manager Bob Melvin indicated that the A’s are simply not in a position to be able to sign Cespedes. That statement would seemingly indicate that the team would have been looking at a reunion if they had the finances.
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Cespedes is a major question mark, having played in just 127 games over the past four seasons due to a litany of injuries. He did perform when he was on the diamond, with a .274/.336/.516 batting line in his 512 plate appearances, hitting 28 homers and 24 doubles. Any team would take that over a full season for what little Cespedes is likely to cost.
But there is the question what he actually has left. Cespedes has appeared in a total of eight games in the past two seasons. His time with the Mets did not end well, as he vanished from the team before notifying them that he would opt out of the rest of the season. And, at 35 years old, time will eventually catch up if it has not already.
Cespedes did show pop during his showcases. The bat may still be there, even if he is unable to contribute much in the field due to his ankle and heel injuries. He would be perfect for an American League team looking for a DH, as the A’s may well be. But that is not going to be the case.
Yoenis Cespedes will not be returning to the Oakland A’s. Even if the team was interested in a reunion, they are not in a situation where that will happen.