Report: Philadelphia Phillies very interested in Yasmani Tomas
By Phil Watson
Nearly every team in baseball is expected to have representatives in the Dominican Republic Sunday when Cuban defector Yasmani Tomas works out for scouts.
The Philadelphia Phillies will be there, according to Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia.
Citing sources, Jim Salisbury reported that the Phillies are legitimately interested in the 23-year-old outfielder with huge power.
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Tomas is 23—four years younger than Rusney Castillo, who got a seven-year, $72.5 million deal from the Boston Red Sox and had his first big-league hit Wednesday night—and there are reports that the price tag on Tomas could get into nine figures.
The Phillies are one of the oldest teams in MLB history—one of just two clubs along with the 2008 New York Yankees since 1901 to have four players 34 or older record at least 550 plate appearances in a season—and an infusion of young power could be huge for their retooling.
Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg knows of Tomas and spoke Wednesday in general terms about Philadelphia having a need for a hitter “that could be more consistent in putting up numbers.”
The Phillies are fighting with the New York Mets to get out of the basement in the National League East, with a 69-82 record entering play Wednesday. They were fourth in the division at 73-89 in 2013 and an 81-81 campaign in 2012 snapped a string of five straight postseason trips.
The Phillies are eighth in the NL, scoring 3.89 runs per game. Their .241 team batting average is 11th in the league, their .302 on-base percentage is 12th and they are seventh with 122 home runs despite playing in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.
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