Yasmany Tomas signs six-year deal with Arizona

Cuban free agent outfielder Yasmany Tomas has agreed to a six-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks worth $68.5 million dollars. The deal reportedly has an opt-out after the fourth year.

Tomas, 24, became a free agent earlier this year after defecting from Cuba and setting up residence in Haiti.

Over the last few months, Tomas has held showcases for interested teams, working out privately for a number of them.

Up until the signing was announced, it was rumored that Tomas was seeking in excess of $100 million over six or seven years, and most expected his deal to eclipse the $80 million mark.

Aside from Arizona, teams who expressed strong interest in Tomas included Philadelphia, Atlanta, and San Diego.

Thoughts:

Earlier this offseason, before the Mets signed outfielder/first baseman Michael Cuddyer, I wrote that Yasmany Tomas was a fit for the Mets.

I wanted the Mets to at least explore Tomas as a legitimate option, and they apparently did. Along with 28 other teams, after scouting Tomas, the Mets opted to not sign him.

What’s curious, is the fact that the Phillies were reported as heavy favorites to sign Tomas, only to back off completely. One would think that has something to do with either Tomas’ defense or an expectation that he isn’t skilled enough offensively.

Still, with the announcement that Tomas had signed with Arizona came almost immediate bellowing from many Mets fans who are disgusted at the Mets for being “shortsighted,” “cheap,” and for refusing to “take a chance” on Tomas.

Tomas may turn into a star, he may settle in as an average player, or he may turn into a bust. No one knows at this point, but that hasn’t prevented people from flipping out.

Here’s what we know about Tomas, at least from reports of those who have scouted him:

Yasmany Tomas has one plus tool, which is power. While his defense as a corner outfielder is expected to be adequate, the Phillies reportedly backed off Tomas due to concerns about his defense.

According to every scout who has watched him, Yasmany Tomas is not a two-way player like Yasiel Puig, Jorge Soler, or even Yoenis Cespedes.

Again, the Mets signing Tomas – instead of Cuddyer – would’ve been an exciting gamble. Still, I’m not going to cry over the Mets not taking a chance on what every scout is referring to as a one-tool player. Especially when two of the Mets’ top three position player prospects are corner outfielders who should be ready to make an impact as soon as 2015.