Yasmany Tomas is the latest Cuban defector to pursue an MLB contract (although two others are believed to be coming to the U.S.), but he has yet to sign with a team. Could the Baltimore Orioles be an option for the power-hitting outfielder?
Tomas defected from Cuba in June, was cleared by the U.S. government to work in the country in September, and then was declared a free agent by the MLB earlier this month. He recently hosted a showcase in the Dominican Republic, which attracted nearly 200 MLB scouts, and has also conducted private workouts with a number of MLB teams.
Interest in the outfielder has now extended to the Minnesota Twins, who are the latest team to contact Tomas' free agent camp. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported the news earlier today, but their chance of signing him is unclear due to the number of teams that are inquiring about his services.
As of right now, the status quo suggests the top candidates to land Tomas are the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers (who he's held private workouts for) as well as San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers (who have expressed strong interest in signing him). And to be honest, it's likely to be one of these teams. The Padres have held two private workouts for him and the Rangers just declined outfielder Alex Rios' option for 2015, leaving an opening in right field for next season. Those are two clear-cut signs right there.
But the Baltimore Orioles may be a dark horse candidate. The O's were just swept by the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS and are working on signing some incumbent free agents, but nothing is guaranteed. Two notables include Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz. Markakis, the longtime Oriole, has a $17.5 million option, but it is believed the team will decline the option, buy him out and then offer him the $15.3 million qualifying offer. If that's the case, there's a good chance Markakis declines and seeks a long-term contract elsewhere.
As for Cruz, Baltimore signed him in the 2013 offseason to a bargain one-year, $8 million deal after the slugger rejected the Texas Rangers' qualifying offer. Now, after leading the MLB in home runs, Cruz is likely seeking a big contract, but the Orioles might not be willing to commit to the 34-year-old. It was reported that the team is planning to present Cruz with a qualifying offer after previous extension talks didn't come to fruition. The belief is the outfielder will decline the qualifying offer for the second year in a row.
So if the Orioles lose both Markakis and Cruz, that leaves them with at least one spot open in the outfield (Cruz played almost half the year in left/right field and the other half at DH). They'll also be losing a tremendous power-hitter who was a significant factor in their success this season. Outfield? Power-hitter? Tomas? Might the Orioles consider signing the Cuban slugger if he doesn't already sign with another team and they lose both Markakis and Cruz? It's also a possibility that Chris Davis doesn't return to Baltimore despite having another year left on his contract because of his second violation of the MLB's amphetamine policy in September. If the Orioles opt to trade him, that's a significant loss in power bats.
So although there is no speculation of Baltimore having interest in Tomas, it could all change based on what happens in the offseason if the Cuban outfielder is still available after the Orioles handle their players.
