Yoenis Cespedes signing with the Oakland Athletics is one of the big stories of the offseason and has put both the player and his new team in direct line of critics, both positive and negative.
Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com provides an interesting prospective on the adjustment period Cespedes will have to go through. Many of his Cuban peers have endured the same struggles that await him but Cespedes seems to be in a better position to deal with them.
Even though he will be a rookie in the league, Cespedes is 26-years-old and has been a name around Cuban baseball for almost a decade. He's also been a name to keep an eye on by all MLB scouts for years now. The only thing truly surprising about Cespedes is that he ended up signing with the A's.
Every team in the league knows what the A's potentially have - a five-tool outfielder who can contribute as soon as he touches the field.
"My first goal is to make the team and stay healthy all season, and little by little, I'll make more goals," Cespedes said. "I've been preparing every day for this and I 100 percent believe that I am ready for the Major Leagues. I have a lot of international experience and experience at a high level. I'm very confident in my abilities."
If he can approach both on the field and off the field with the same level of confidence, Cespedes should be just fine. Only time will tell.