Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets. (Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
If Yoenis Cespedes is signed ahead of Opening Day, it might be with the Chicago White Sox.
After spending most of the 2020 MLB season out of baseball, veteran slugger Yoenis Cespedes is on the verge of signing with a new club in 2021. One MLB insider speculates the favorite team to land the Cuban defector is the Chicago White Sox.
Jon Heyman of the MLB Network believes the South Siders are the presumptive favorite to sign Cespedes. He thinks that while most designated hitter roles have been filled in the American League, a Junior Circuit club like the White Sox make the most sense. They are a serious World Series contender and can afford to take a gamble on a high-risk, high-reward player like him.
Does Yoenis Cespedes get the Chicago White Sox over the top in 2021?
Along with the New York Yankees, Chicago is a sexy pick to win the American League this year. The White Sox were a year ahead of schedule and made the postseason last October, albeit in an expanded field. They are dripping with talent all over the diamond, but you can never have enough power bats (especially from the right side) if you want to contend for baseball’s ultimate prize.
Cespedes did not play at all in 2019 and only had 31 at-bats last season before bailing on the New York Mets. While he had the right to opt out, he probably should have told his teammates instead of jumping ship off a Mets team that was counting on him. Then again, he probably saw the writing on the wall for another hopeless season for The Amazins. Maybe the White Sox will do?
If Cespedes ends up signing with a club before Opening Day, all our money is on the White Sox.