 Cuba's Yoenis Cespedes has signed a contract with the A's, pending a physical. (REUTERS/Ana Martinez/Files) |
OAKLAND - The Oakland Athletics and coveted Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes agreed to terms on a four-year contract Monday, according to reports.
The deal is worth $36 million and won't be officially announced until Cespedes completes a physical, MLB.com reported.
Under terms of the contract, the A's will not be able to offer the 26-year-old arbitration, meaning he will automatically become a free agent following the 2015 season, according to MLB.com.
Several other teams were said to be in the running to land Cespedes, a Cuban defector who has been granted residency in the Dominican Republic.
The Miami Marlins also offered him $36 million, but over six years instead of four, ESPN reported.
Cespedes' contract with the A's will pay him $6.5 million in the first year, $8.5 million in the second and $10.5 million in each of the final two years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
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Touted as a five-tool player, Cespedes batted .333 with a league-record 33 home runs during the 2010-11 season in Cuba and started in center field for the country during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.