Coveted international free agents Yasmany Tomas and Yoan Moncada have attracted much interest this offseason. Tomas, the Cuban outfielder, is expected to land a deal in the $100 million range, while Moncada, the Cuban middle infielder, could receive a $30 to $40 million signing bonus.
According to Jorge Arangure of Vice Sports, Tomas is scheduled to arrive in the United States today to meet with his agent, Jay Alou. He also noted that a "deal appears imminent" and could possibly be executed by the weekend. Alou is expected to meet with four different general managers in the Dominican Republic in the next two days. The Philadelphia Phillies have long been viewed as a front runner for the 24-year-old, but interest in him has extended across the MLB.
The latest being the Kansas City Royals, who he's expected to work out for today in the Dominican Republic. The Royals are losing outfielder Nori Aoki in free agency and will likely lose designated hitter Billy Butler as well, so Tomas fits right in as he can provide a power bat in the outfield. However, he could be out of their price range, especially with other big market teams in the mix such as the Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. The Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres have also expressed interest in Tomas.
Although it's said his signing is imminent, it's unknown what team is the one that may land him.
Yoan Moncada is also attracting attention from a number of MLB clubs. The 19-year-old held a showcase for all 30 teams on November 12 in Guatemala. He defected from Cuba and is currently petitioning free agency so he can be cleared by the United States government before the international signing period ends in June. The 19-year-old is a switch-hitting middle infielder during a time when the MLB is experiencing an overall dearth of talent at the second base and shortstop positions.
As a result, he's expected to receive a record bonus for an amateur player. He's garnering interest from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres. The Los Angeles Angels are interested as well, but he's believed to be out of their price range since they're awfully close to hitting the luxury tax.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, two general managers and two other league officials familiar with Moncada's situation believe once the top Cuban prospect hits the market, he'll receive a $30 to $40 million bonus, which would be a record for any domestic or foreign amateur player. This will raise the overall contract to around $60 million. This is a problem for the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels because they've already exceeded their international pool signings for 2014, which means they won't be able to sign international players for the next two signing period if they happen to land Moncada. His contract would certainly put each of these teams 15% above their pool signings, which will incur the penalty.
Moncada is expected to sign much later than Tomas, but it'll be worth keeping an eye on because it's likely going to affect other free-agent signings.
