The sweepstakes for Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas are about to get more crowded. Reports have surfaced that the San Francisco Giants would be involved in the bidding for the international slugger if they lost third baseman Pablo Sandoval to free agency.
Today, Sandoval signed a five-year, $100 million deal to join the Boston Red Sox, freeing up a lot of cash for the defending World Series champs to bolster their outfield.
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Tomas has already drawn interest from a number of teams, including the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Philadelphia Phillies, although the Phillies have reportedly backed off their pursuit.
Tomas won't come cheap-he's rumored to be asking for a five-to-seven year contract in the $15 million per season range, but may be open to a shorter pact with a larger per-year figure.
The Giants could be a major wrench in those other teams' plans. They have the allure of three recent championships, plenty of money with Sandoval off the books, and great motivation. They have holes to fill in the outfield, and need to replace Sandoval's pop (.415 slugging percentage).
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Tomas swatted 30 home runs in 205 games for Havana Industriales, who play in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He also added 204 RBI in that time, production that San Francisco can use when they're trying to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers' loaded lineup.
There are durability concerns about the 24-year-old. He has never played in more than 69 games of any Serie Nacional season, which lasts 90 games. He also missed the entire 2010-11 campaign.
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