PHOENIX (AP) ― After watching the YouTube promotional video of the five-tool outfielder with a sculpted body and freakish athleticism, the Oakland Athletics were eager to see Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes up close.

“He’s finally here,” catcher Kurt Suzuki said. “We hear about the potential and the tools and all that stuff. I’m not just excited to see him hit but excited to see him working out with the team.”

Cespedes certainly didn’t disappoint.

The 26-year-old Cespedes worked out with the Athletics for the first time Sunday. The slugging outfielder performed some agility drills to measure his vertical leap and took batting practice with Manny Ramirez and Cedric Hunter during a highly anticipated session in which he sprayed pitches to all fields and sent a couple of souvenirs over the walls.

He then shagged flies with Ramirez and signed autographs for fans on a day where there wasn’t a spring training game at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, just a spectacle.

“I’m very happy to be here because I feel I’m very close to my dream to play in the big leagues,” said Cespedes, who played in Cuba’s top league for eight seasons before defecting in 2011 to the Dominican Republic with his mother, an aunt and four cousins.

He’ll take batting practice and focus on defensive drills over the next week or so as he tries to get up to speed with his teammates who have been here for two weeks.

“I’ll be ready in five or six days,” he said.

Cespedes is projected to be ready for the majors right away, although the Athletics’ truncated spring schedule may put a crimp in that. They depart Arizona on March 22 so they can open the season in Japan on March 28 against Seattle.

Cespedes’ arrival gave manager Bob Melvin 16 outfielders that he has to find at-bats for during camp.

The biggest question facing the Athletics is whether Cespedes will play left field or replace Coco Crisp in center. Crisp has said he wants to stay put, but that’s also Cespedes’ natural position, and the Athletics will want to do anything they can to help him feel comfortable as he adjusts to a new country and a new level of competition.

“I’m willing to play wherever they ask me,” Cespedes said.

Melvin said he’ll have Cespedes do his drills from center field until he gets acclimated.

“It’s not an issue right now,” Athletics general manager Billy Beane said. “But I think ultimately what Bob’s going to do is put the best center fielder in center field and the best left fielder in left field, whoever that may be.”