Diamondbacks Announce Yasmani Tomas' Signing

Picture Courtesy of mlb.com

By Francisco Romero. – Arizona Diamondbacks Sr. Vice President & General Manager Dave Stewart announced the signing of Cuban Outfielder / First Baseman Yasmani Tomas.

Through a press release it was announced that both parties agreed to a six-year deal.  The press release did not specify an amount, but it has been reported that the deal is worth $68.5 million.

Tomas impressed scouts with his raw power and he is expected to play third base for the Diamondbacks.

“The opportunity to find a power bat like Tomas does not come along very often and we are extremely excited for him to join the D-backs,” said Stewart through the press release. “Having had the opportunity to see him play, both in the World Baseball Classic and during recent workouts in the Dominican Republic, we believe that he can have a real impact on our lineup in the years to come.”

The 24 year-old Havana native most recently appeared in 6 games during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, batting .375 (6-for-16) with 2 homers, 5 RBI and a 1.224 OPS.

Baseball America tabbed him as the sixth-best non-MLB player in the tournament.

He debuted in the Cuban Serie Nacional at age 18 and played 5 seasons for the Industriales, slugging 30 homers and 104 RBI with 15 stolen bases in 205 regular season games dating back to 2008. During his professional career, he has played outfield, third base and first base.

“My dream has always been to play with the best players in the world and that’s in Major League Baseball,” said Tomas. “I have a lot of respect for the Diamondbacks and enjoyed meeting Dave Stewart and De Jon Watson during my recent workouts. I have great expectations for my career and cannot wait to join the team and start my big league career.”