Yoelqui Céspedes

Career

Yoelqui Céspedes started his career with the Alazanes de Granma in the Cuban National Series, where he posted a .287/.351/.415 batting line. He also suited up for the Cuban national team during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. While in Dayton, Ohio, on June 25, 2019, he defected from Cuba during a CanAm League showcase event with the national team. He then trained in the Bahamas while waiting for Major League Baseball to grant him free agency.

On December 22, 2020, he agreed to a $2 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, which the team announced on January 15, 2021. He was assigned to the High-A Winston-Salem Dash on June 19 and later earned a spot in the All-Star Futures Game. The White Sox then moved him up to the Double-A Birmingham Barons and sent him to the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League after the season. In 2022 with Birmingham, he hit .258 with 17 homers and 59 RBIs over 119 games, but also struck out 154 times against just 29 walks.

He split the 2023 season between Birmingham and the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, batting .230/.319/.350 with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in 121 games. The White Sox released him on March 30, 2024.

He signed with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association on April 24, 2024, but went 0-for-11 in three games and was released on May 16. On August 10, 2024, he joined the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, where he slashed .262/.326/.321 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 22 games before becoming a free agent. On June 18, 2026, he signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League.