Yasmani Tomas Rumors: Latest Buzz on Teams Pursuing Cuban Prospect

One of the top prizes on the free-agent market this offseason, as well as one of the great unknowns, is Cuban slugger Yasmani Tomas. He's got a lot to live up to with the rash of recent Cuban success stories like Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes. 

Fortunately, Tomas has more than enough potential to fill those shoes. It also means that the bidding war to sign the soon-to-be 24-year-old will be intense and require a lot of money. Abreu signed a record $68 million deal with the Chicago White Sox last year. 

Thanks to the explosion of television money in MLB over the last couple of years, more teams have financial resources to play with. That leaves Tomas in a win-win situation this offseason, so it's all about finding the right scenario. 

Here are the latest rumors about where Tomas could end up playing. 

Royals Showing Interest

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The American League champion Kansas City Royals are going to look different when the 2015 season starts. James Shields is a free agent and may be too costly for the team. Nori Aoki is a free agent. Billy Butler had his option declined, though his standing with the organization could prompt a reunion for a cheap short-term deal. 

As a result, Andy McCullough of The Kansas City Star reported that Butler's potential departure could make Tomas an option:

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The potential departure of Butler creates a hole in the middle of the team’s batting order. The Royals could plug that hole with one of the most intriguing players on the market. They have shown interest in Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas, a 24-year-old slugger who has wowed observers at recent workouts in the Dominican Republic and drawn comparisons to his countryman, White Sox first baseman and American League Rookie of the Year José Abreu.

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McCullough also added this nugget on Twitter:

The good news is that Kansas City would seem to have money available. Shields, Butler and Aoki accounted for roughly $23 million of the team's $92 million payroll, per Cot's Baseball Contracts.

The Royals do have several players, including Greg Holland and Eric Hosmer, eligible for arbitration. That will eat away at some of the money saved from those three free agents. Unless the Royals plan to keep their payroll around $90 million again, or even increase to around $100 million, it's hard to see them being serious players for Tomas. 

It's clear the team does have a need with Butler possibly leaving and an offense that only hit 95 home runs during the regular season. Tomas is a young player with tremendous upside, though there are limits to what a team can do. 

Red Sox Outfield Depth Makes Signing Unlikely

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

One team that will be worth monitoring closely this offseason is the Boston Red Sox. They seem poised to make a big splash, with either a trade or free-agent signing, but it doesn't seem likely that Tomas will be caught in the fire. 

According to John Tomase of The Boston Herald, a logjam in Boston's outfield doesn't leave much room for another high-profile signee:

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The odds of Yasmani Tomas signing with the Red Sox aren’t great. He’s a right-handed hitting outfielder, and the Red Sox already have too many of those.

But the latest Cuban import to come stateside is also the best power-hitting prospect on the market, and he just completed a weekend workout at the Red Sox’ Dominican Academy.

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Jay Alou, Tomas' agent, is also quoted in Tomase's report as saying that "I don’t see a need" with the Red Sox. They currently have Yoenis Cespedes, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava, Mookie Betts, Allen Craig and Rusney Castillo. 

One interesting note at the end of Alou's quote is he mentions Tomas as someone who "could play third base." 

It's no secret the Red Sox are in the market for an upgrade at the hot corner. Will Middlebrooks' chance to prove himself last year went up in flames with a .191/.256/.265 slash line. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Red Sox appear to be one of the two main players for Pablo Sandoval, though he also acknowledges they are looking at other options:

Betts has the ability to play the infield, though his natural position of second base is occupied by Dustin Pedroia. Cespedes could be dealt, as Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reported the All-Star is "drawing interest" in the event the Red Sox decide to move him. 

Castillo, another Cuban star, is the unknown commodity of the group after signing a $72.5 million contract last season. He appeared in 10 games late last season and will be asked to do a lot more as the starting center fielder. 

Using one of those outfielders as the designated hitter isn't an option because David Ortiz isn't going anywhere. Unless Tomas wants to play third base, or Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington is able to trade at least two outfielders, it wouldn't make sense to invest more money in a position of depth. 

Phillies A "Front-runner" For Tomas

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

If you ever want to know what "agent speak" looks like in print form, Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia offers this quote from Alou regarding a potential front-runner for his client:

"There are several teams that I could say are frontrunners, but yes (the Phillies are one of them)." Alou said. 

In other words, Alou is going to milk this negotiation for all he can in order to get the best deal for Tomas. There's nothing wrong with that, since it's his job as an agent, but it does lead to a lot more speculation instead of action. 

Alou also tried to play any potential negotiations with the Phillies up by saying they, "Owe it to their fans, right?" That is a man who has been around the block more than once. He's classified many teams as a front-runners, while basically saying Philadelphia's best chance to contend in 2015 comes with his client. 

Any hope for a quick resolution to the Tomas sweepstakes, for the Phillies or anyone else, was shot down by Rosenthal on Twitter:

Of all the teams known to be in the Tomas sweepstakes, the Phillies make the most sense. They are currently loaded with a lot of bad and/or expensive contracts, but if they can find room in the budget he can fill the hole in left field. 

Domonic Brown was tied with Houston's Matt Dominguez as the worst position player in baseball last year, according to FanGraphs' wins above replacement. That continued his downward trend after making the All-Star team in 2013, hitting .270/.333/.390 in the second half two years ago. 

If Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro believes his team can compete for a playoff spot in 2015, they will need to add instant impact talent to an aging roster. Tomas has his question marks, but he would still be a huge upgrade over Ryan Howard. 

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