Cuban slugger Yasmani Tomas will have his showcase in the Dominican Republic this Sunday, and while most teams including the Mets are expected to have a look, his price tag will eliminate most of them from bidding for his services.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported that bidding could go as high as $100 million dollars for Tomas.
Still, Marc Carig of Newsday learned that the Mets will have three scouts attending the showcase. But after speaking to a former scout who was assigned to the Dominican Republic, I learned the Mets have no less than five scouts in that area at any given time.
Additionally, it was pointed out to me that these Cuban showcases are in no way an indication that a team has serious interest in the player, just teams doing their due diligence.
Serious suitors will emerge once you see which teams have scheduled personal workouts.
September 16
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has learned that the price to land Yasmani Tomas could be record-breaking for Cuban players.
“According to one team’s international scout, the latest Cuban slugger could command as much as $100 million. The scout said Tomas has gotten himself in shape and if he performs well at his showcase later in the month, the money will get really high.”
As far as top pursuers go, Cafardo believes the Phillies are expected to go hard on him, but the Red Sox will be in the mix as well.
Tomas cannot enter into an agreement with a team until he has been declared a free agent which is just a formality and should happen shortly.
The Mets will likely attend the showcase – they always do. But with payroll expected to remain at $85 million, and facing $22 million in raises for 2015, Alderson has already cautioned that the team would not pursue anything significant in free agency this offseason and that it’s likely that left field would be addressed internally.
September 10
Another offseason approaches and another Cuban phenom has been cleared for takeoff.
Yasmani Tomas, 23, has been officially cleared to pursue a major league contract according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Sanchez adds that he’ll still need to be declared a free agent before he’s allowed to sign with a big-league team, but that’s just a formality.
Tomas, a right-handed power hitter, can play either corner outfield position and has often been compared to countryman Jose Abreu, with some scouts suggesting that he has even more power.
“He can hit towering home runs thanks to the strength from his thickly-built 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame,” wrote Ben Badler of Baseball America last June.
Thoughts from MMO minor league analyst, Kirk Cahill:
Tomas, 23, is a 6’1, 230-pound outfielder with monster power potential. Before his defection he’d been playing professional baseball in Cuba for the Industriales.
In 97 games last season for them he hit .275 with 10 homeruns and 59 RBI. This season Tomas hit .290 with six homeruns in 257 plate appearances while dealing with an arm injury.
Perhaps his most impressive showing was at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, where he went 6-for-16 (.412) with two homers. After the tournament Baseball America named him the sixth best prospect in the tournament.
I think the Mets should be all-in on this young outfielder. Although he may not have the pedigree of Jose Abreu or Yasiel Puig despite carrying a similar price tag, I think it’s more than worth the risk.
The days of young power-hitters reaching the free agent market are over. Teams are locking up these types of players early on. With power at a premium in MLB right now, you can afford to miss on a guy like Tomas who may never hit for high average, but will provide plus power which the Mets desperately need.
However we all know the likely outcome – the Mets will pass on him and he’ll win Rookie of the Year for someone else.
(Photo credits: Alyson Boyer Rode and Chung Sung-Jun.)
