Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas will be holding a showcase on Sunday for MLB scouts. The 23-year-old has been authorized by the United States to pursue a Major League contract, and once he's declared a free agent, he'll likely be off the market fast.
The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly have serious interest in the Cuban slugger as they are in dire need of a young power hitter. The aging and declining lineup that consists of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz and Marlon Byrd simply won't prepare the organization for the future. Howard is signed through 2015, Utley through 2015, Rollins has a vesting option for 2015, Ruiz through 2016, and Byrd has a vesting option for 2016. They need to start building now to prepare for the soon-to-be departures of these players.
According to Jim Salibury of CSN Philly, the Phillies are more interested in Tomas then they were in the most recent Cuban defector, Rusney Castillo. Philadelphia was also a frontrunner to land the 27-year-old Castillo, but the Red Sox swooped in with a seven-year, $72.5 million offer and that was that. The situation with Tomas can play out in similar fashion, as it's been reported that a number of teams are vying for his services, including the Red Sox. One international scout believes that if Tomas performs to the liking of MLB scouts on Sunday then his contract could near $100 million, which would make the bidding war interesting.
However, ESPN MLB Insider Keith Law noted, "A reasonable/optimistic projection for Tomas would be an average to slightly above-average regular in left field, with 25 to 30 homers, a low OBP and below-average defense." But Law also said that Tomas is likely to get paid more money than other Cuban defectors such as Yasiel Puig (seven years, $42 million) and Jose Abreu (six years, $68 million) solely because of their success in the MLB.
Other teams who are reportedly interested and are expected to scout Tomas on Sunday include the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants (who were also frontrunners for Rusney Castillo and Jose Abreu), San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and others, as mentioned by MLBTradeRumors.com.
After Sunday we'll know a lot more about Tomas' fate.
