Arizona Diamondbacks officially sign Cuban star Yasmany Tomas
Dec 8, 2014, 11:05 PM | Updated: 11:06 pm
After a week of speculation, the Arizona Diamondbacks made it official Monday, inking Cuban infielder/outfielder Yasmany Tomas to a six-year contract.
The deal was previously reported to be worth $68.5 million.
“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,” D-backs general manager Dave Stewart said in a statement. “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 played in six games in the 2013 World Baseball Classic for Cuba, batting .375 with two home runs and 5 RBI. He was named as the sixth-best non-MLB player in the tournament by Baseball America.
“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.”
D-backs’ brass has said Tomas will get an opportunity to play third base in 2014, although most of his Cuban experience has come in the outfield.
