Yasmany Tomas Works Out for the Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks held a private workout for Cuban Slugger Yasmani Tomas yesterday. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Cuban free agent slugger Yasmany Tomas worked out privately for the Arizona Diamondbacks at third base yesterday according to a tweet from his agent Jay Alou Jr. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish was the first to report the news.

The 23 year old had been mainly talked about being a corner-outfielder. The Padres have worked out him twice, and the Giants, Tigers, and Rangers are said to be in the mix.

However, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reported a few weeks ago that the Phillies are seen as the favorite for Tomas’s services.

Tomas defected from Cuba in late June, after playing five seasons in Serie Nacional. He was officially declared a free agent by Major League Baseball in early October. During his time in Cuba, he was one of the country’s top power hitters. Last season Tomas regressed a little bit which is believed to be as a result of a arm injury he sustained while running into an outfield wall. He finished the 2014 season with a slash line of .290/.346/.450.

The 2011-2012 season was his breakout year. He hit .301 with 16 home runs in 240 plate apperances over 69 games. In 2012-2013, he hit .289 with 15 home runs, ranking fifth in the league in slugging, and sixth in home runs.

His best chance to show off his skills to the baseball world, MLB teams, and scouts came at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and he took advantage of the opportunity. He finished the tournament with a .416 average to go along with 2 home runs, while getting the majority of the time in right-field. He finished as the no.6 prospect at the tournament.

The one flaw that most scouts see with Tomas is his tendency to swing and miss. He struck out 46 times over 257 plate apperances in 2014.

Here is a scouting report of Tomas courtesy of Ben Balder at Baseball America:

"“A righthanded-hitting corner outfielder, Tomas can hit towering home runs thanks to the strength from his thickly-built 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame. Tomas has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, and with Jose Abreu already gone, the only player still in Cuba with more raw power than him was Alfredo Despaigne. He has some experience in center field and is a decent runner for his size, but his speed is still below-average and he’s going to be a corner outfielder in pro ball.”"

Despite what Balder says, Tomas has versatility and he could play in the infield which could benefit the Diamondbacks if they deal Aaron Hill, or if they feel that Jake Lamb isn’t ready.

The Dbacks have always been willing to dive into the international market to find talent. However, the chances of this team signing Tomas is pretty low. First of all his market is very large, and he has so much upside.

Balder reported a couple of days ago that Tomas is looking for more money than Jose Abreu and Rusney Castillo. That means more than $72.5 million and under $100 million. The Dbacks want to lower their payroll this offseason, and dont plan on spending big money on free agents, so I just dont see them signing him.

That is why it doesn’t make sense that they would hold a private workout. Maybe they are just testing all of their options, but Dbacks fans should not get excited about Tomas potentially being in sedona red.