by Amaury Pi Gonzalez

ANAHEM–Nobody that follows the game should be surprised by Athletics Genral Manager Billy Beane dealing A’s outfielder Yoenis Céspedes to the Boston Red Sox for three-time All Star lefhander Jon Lester. On that same deal, the Oakland A’s also get popular outfielder Jonny Gomes (Petaluma’s own) who played for the A’s in 2012.

After 2015 Céspedes can be a Free Agent, and the A’s were probably not ready to give the two-time Homerun Derby Champ a lucrative deal, so Céspedes (.256 17 Homeruns 67 runs batted in) value was high and the reigning World Champion Boston Red Sox, today living in the cellar of the American League East, took Billy Beane’s deal without a problem.

Remember, Lester said he would not mind going back to Boston after this season) so this could be a two-month rental, and one that could bring a World Series Championship to Oakland, the first since 1989. It could also backfire for Billy, but such are the risk General Managers take when they wheel and deal.By-the-way in that same deal, the A’s received cash from the Red Sox.

More action today, the A’s traded left hander pitcher Tommy Milone (27 years old) 6-3 with a 3.55 earned run average) somebody that the lowly Twins can insert right away in their rotation.

It is only poetic that this Saturday the Athletics have “La Potencia”T-Shirt promotion at the Oakland Coliseum. “La Potencia”is what they called Yoenis Céspedes in Cuba prior to his defecting to the US. First time I interview the Cuban-born star was during his first season as he got ready to put the A’s uniform on in Spring Training, in Phoenix, Arizona. I will never forget that moment, his locker was next to that of Bartolo Colón, and Céspedes was ready to take the field for practice with his glove that sported a Cuban flag on it.

Céspedes was a good player for the A’s, recently he told manager Bob Melvin he didn’t want to play center-field, Colón was not re-signed by the A’s after he won 18 games and wanted a two-year deal, one that the Mets gave him. Colón is also a pitcher that many teams have talked to the Mets about. At 41 the man throws nothing but strikes and even with the Mets (not a good team) has a very good number. Both Colón and Céspedes were part of A’s history.

Yoenis Céspedes was the most exciting player the A’s have had during the past few seasons, but baseball is a business and nobody does that better than A’s General Manager Billy Beane. So I wish the A’s good luck and hope the deal works for the team. Coco Crisp continues with his neck problems, Craig Gentry who was signed as a fourth outfielder is out with a broken hand, Céspedes didn’t wanted to play centerfield recently in Houston.

Melvin said he doesn’t know when Crisp will return to the lineup. … left fielder Yoenis Cespedes told him that he didn’t want to move to center field. … outfield, Brandon Moss is not a candidate to play center field, Melvin

Adiós Yoenis!

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Spanish radio voice for Oakland A’s baseball and does News and Commentary each week on http://www.sportsrradioservice.com