Former Oakland A’s outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is adding another chapter to his improbable comeback.
According to Francys Romero, Cespedes will be taking part in the World Baseball Classic. He will suit up for the Cuban National Team, joining a growing list of current and former major leaguers as part of the preliminary 50 man roster for the tournament.
Yoenis Cespedes taking another step in his return to baseball
It is a surprising step in his return. Just the fact that Cespedes is even attempting a comeback at all should be considered a surprise considering that he has appeared in just eight games since the end of the 2018 season. Injuries and his decision to abruptly leave the Mets in 2020 had essentially ruined his career.
But Cespedes was not done. He had been getting healthy once more, finally returning to the game as part of the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League this offseason. While it may be unrealistic to have expected the 37 year old outfielder to get another major league opportunity, he was not willing to give up just yet.
It remains to be seen how much Cespedes could contribute. He had gotten off to a solid start during his time in the DWL but his bat has cooled off as of late. Cespedes has posted a .205/.229/.386 batting line in his 48 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting two homers and two doubles. Considering that he has quite a bit of rust to knock off, those struggles are to be expected.
But Cespedes is showing some signs that he could be a useful piece. He still has some power when he can make contact. If he is able to work through that layoff and rust to get to the point where he is close to his former self, he could still make an impact. That impact could improbably come in the WBC.
Yoenis Cespedes is taking another step in his unexpected comeback. The former Oakland A’s outfielder is joining the Cuban World Baseball Classic team.