MLB: Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas declared free agent

Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas has been declared a free agent by the MLB

On Friday, Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas has been declared a free agent by the MLB according to Jesse Sanchez.

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Yasmani Tomas

defected 

from Cuba in June and was cleared by the U.S. government to work in the country in early September. He’s a 24-year old corner outfielder with a mix of speed and pop in his bat. He’s considered agile and his arm is likely capable of handling right field in the Majors. In 2011, he hit 16 home runs in 69 games in the Cuban leagues as a 20-year old. He’s played for Cuba’s national team and also for Cuba’s World Baseball Classic squad.

It’s been reported that the market for Yasmani Tomas could go as high as $100 million dollars, with the Philadephia Phillies showing early interest in the 6’4″, 240 lbs outfielder, but as Sanchez reports, the Padres are working him out, and other teams will be interested as well. With the recent success of Cuban players, particularly Cuban position players such as Jose Abreu, Yasiel Puig and potentially Rusney Castillo, and with Yasmani Tomas’s apparent skill set, it’s possible that even if the outfielder doesn’t reach the $100-million barrier, he could very well break Castillo’s current record for a Cuban signee of a seven-year, $72.5-million-dollar deal.

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