Yoenis Céspedes and Manny Ramirez: not your typical "Moneyballers"

Céspedes hit his first HR with the A's in his
first spring training at bat.

By Zan Schindler

This past year, the Oakland Athletics Baseball Organization was put in the spotlight with the premiere of Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt. This film follows A’s general manager Billy Beane through the 2002 season as he tries to put together a baseball team using a computer-generated analysis program. The idea of buying hits, on base percentages, and other statistics is seemingly non-existent with the signings of Manny Ramirez and Yoenis Céspedes.

Manny Ramirez, a player who has been all over the place in the past few years, recently signed with the A’s after dodging an illegal substance suspension by simply retiring last season. He was also suspended in the 2009 season for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

For the upcoming season, Ramirez has finagled his 100 game suspension down to 50 games. Before his retirement from the Rays, Manny played 5 games registering 17 at bats and 1 hit. His batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage were all .059.

Prior to his brief stint with the Rays, Ramirez played for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox in the 2010 season. During 2010, when drugs violating the MLB’s substance abuse policy were not in his system, Manny hit for a .298 average, with 9 home runs and 42 runs batted in. His on base percentage hit .409, slugging percentage of .460, combining for an OPS (on base + slugging percentage) of .861. Make no mistake: Manny Ramirez is by all means one of the great hitters to play the game. With 9 Silver Slugger Awards, 2 Hank Aaron Awards, and the 2004 World Series MVP, and a member of the 500 Home Run club, Manny Ramirez’s career has made him without a doubt one of baseball’s best. He just recorded his first home run against the Brewers in spring ball, and is scheduled to see the rest of his at bats on the minor league level. If Manny can step into the season after 50 games and find his swing, he should provide some solid support in the middle of the batting order.

Manny Ramirez is far from the player he was in Boston.

However, Manny Ramirez can be expected to bat below the Mendoza line (below a .200 batting average). He is most definitely a gamble for the Oakland A’s ballclub.

Relatively still unknown around the country, this Cuban slugger is perhaps the A’s biggest risk on a player in years. Signing the 26-year-old to a 4 year, $36 million dollar contract which finalized March 3^rd, the A’s are expecting big things from this young slugger. Céspedes was Cuba's starting center fielder in the 2009 World Baseball Classic where he hit .458 batting average, and OBP of .480 and a SLG of 1.000 with a double, 3 triples, 2 home runs, five runs and five RBI in six games. Throughout his 8-year career in the Cuban National League, he registered a Batting Average of .297, OBP of .402, SLG percentage of .581, and an OPS of .983.

It is clear that Céspedes is ready for the next level. But how will his success in Cuba translate to the Major Leagues? Scouts find it plenty difficult relating the talent of Japan to the MLB, and an even more difficult time doing so with Cuba. A perfect example is Yuniesky Betancourt, a Cuban infielder prodigy. Getting a hit nearly every at bat, this guy was destined for the Majors. Signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2005, Betancourt found that he could not continue the same high level of success he saw in Cuba. His first season features a .256 batting average, .296 OBP,  .370 SLG, and an OPS of .666. For a guy that is used to getting on base nearly every at bat, he was now only on base roughly 30% of the time. Countless players such as Betancourt have come to the majors with expectations to dominate, and countless times we see them fail.

Yoenis Céspedes was a standout at the 2009 WBC.

In regards to Céspedes, he’s opened spring ball going 2 for 8, with a home run, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts (stats as of March 13). His only hits came in the first game, and he has since gone hitless in 6 straight at-bats. The scouting report is in on Céspedes, which is only helping his opposition. Hopefully, he will find his swing and be a success in the majors. The man has dedicated his life to the game, and in turn the A’s have dedicated $36 million dollars to him. With high risk comes high reward, but the larger the wager, the larger the loss.

The A’s have signed players like Manny Ramirez in the past (i.e Hideki Matsui, Mike Piazza, and Nomar Garciaparra, etc), and each of these signings has not significantly improved the A’s in the last decade making them consistent playoff contenders. Signing Ramirez is another example of Billy Beane attempting to resurrect a dying player’s career.

Céspedes, on the other hand, is an entirely new experience for the A’s. He represents a new era in Athletics Baseball, and could possibly be the beginning of a foundation for a World Series contending team.  Overall, the signing of Céspedes still represents a high level of risk by Beane and A’s front office, but could be the dawning of a new era, especially if the A’s move to San Jose.