"Oakland Athletics owner Lewis Wolff acknowledged recently that even if the A's receive permission to move to San Jose soon, they likely would not open their new ballpark until 2016.

On Monday, the Athletics stunned the baseball world by agreeing with Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes on a four-year, $36 million contract that allows him to become a free agent after 2015, according to major-league sources.

Why would the Athletics agree to such a short deal when sources say that teams such as the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs wanted control of Cespedes, 26, for at least six years?

What is the point of the Athletics even signing Cespedes if he might be gone before they ever find their way to San Jose?

Both reasonable questions — and considering the uncertainty surrounding Cespedes, who has never played an inning in the North American system, there are many more."