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Cespedes may end up being a good player, but it's not like he's the missing piece who's going to win the A's the division title. I don't get what Beane is doing. I think he just makes transactions because he's bored.
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He's hoping to tap into that huge Cuban fan base in the Bay area.
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Last I heard he was heavily invested in European soccer, so I doubt he's paying much attention.
As one of his bigger fans, I am dumbfounded as to what he's doing. It really makes no sense.
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The A's are still going to have a lower payroll then last year and be on the hook for basicly nothing in years to come. This isnt a "shift from Moneyball" as it is being said. If this kid is really 26 and can really bat for average and power he is an elite CFer. For 9 million Bean just bought someone undervalued. Of couse he could turn out to be Jeremy Brown but that is baseball. The A's have paid Holliday and Chavez big money. They signed Ben Sheets for ten million. Bean spending 9 million on a player should come as a shock. He could be already be thinking of flippin him in 2 years.
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"He could be already be thinking of flippin him in 2 years."
Or two weeks. The first thing I thought of when I read the terms of the deal was that he won't finish it in Oakland.
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"he was heavily invested in European soccer"
He's apparently garnered a rooting interest in Tottenham Hotspur. Say "New York Jets" with a British accent, and you've got it.
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The only way Cespedes is in Oakland at the end of his contract is if he completely flops and becomes untradeable.
Beane has become the guy in your fantasy league who makes trades just for the sake of making a trade. If he has a plan, I'd love to hear it. I think he's resigned himself to the fact that there's no way he can be competitive with Anaheim and Texas.
When can we expect Moneyball II? Shouldn't someone chronicle the last five or so years of futility under Beane's leadership?
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"When can we expect Moneyball II?"
It's going to consist of Scott Hatteberg's Hall of Fame induction speech.