MLB St Louis Cardinals

Cuban OF Yasmani Tomas Could Intrigue St. Louis Cardinals

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By @DrewJenkins77

Yasmany Tomas

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The St. Louis Cardinals have stated multiple times this offseason that they have the money to extend payroll, both now and in the future. Whether that money is used now or a couple of years down the road remains to be seen, but it seems like the Cardinals have the ability to make a splash this offseason if they so choose. Could inking 24-year-old Cuban outfielder Yasmani Tomas be that splash?

The Cardinals’ need for offense is clear. In 2014, they finished just 23rd in baseball in runs scored, which hurt the team significantly. The problem is, however, that the Cardinals do not have any glaring holes in their lineup. Instead they have a wealth of young talent that is still learning how to hit against big league pitching.

The only significant hole that there seems to be in the Cardinals’ lineup is at right field. However, the Cardinals have two prospects on the brink of making a big league impact in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk. Thus, the team is not going to sign a mid-level free agent to block them from playing time. Rather, it would take a big name signing to do so, and Tomas could be just that.

The Cuban stands out for his big-time power, with many rating it as 70 out of 80 on the scouting scale and projecting him as having the ability to hit 30-plus home runs. Tomas has had some questions with his contact abilities in the past, and he will have to work to tone down some swing-and-miss tendencies. Still, Tomas is viewed as a potential impact bat that will take little to no minor league seasoning to be big league ready.

Defensively, Tomas is, at best, an average runner. He has some experience in center field in Cuba, but he is destined for the corner outfield in MLB. He has a plus arm, which would suit him well in right field. Instincts-wise, Tomas has been inconsistent, sometimes making great plays but other times having slow reactions. Overall it does not seem he will be a liability in the field, but he is not likely to be a Gold Glove winner either.

Tomas brings star potential, and that ability plus his youth has left many teams drooling. Most times when a power hitter hits the free agent market, he is already out of his prime and will be declining over the next few years, but whoever signs Tomas will get him for his prime years. This year’s free agent market lacks power, and with runs at a huge premium these days, Tomas seems in line for a monster deal that could even approach $100 million. That may seem crazy for a guy who has never played baseball in the United States, but it is certainly achievable.

The Cardinals will not take a commitment this large lightly, and they generally prefer building their teams around homegrown talent and adding a complementary free agent here and there. Tomas, though, sticks with the Cardinals’ plan of building around young players, and adding his bat would help the Cardinals get past their offensive woes of 2014 and give them an impact player for the future. The Cardinals should be intrigued by Tomas, and with a deal seeming close to happening between him and an unknown team, we could be seeing Tomas in Cardinals red in the next couple of days.

Drew Jenkins is an MLB writer and Sabermetrics Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DrewJenkins77, “Like” him on Facebook, add him to your network on Google, or contact him at [email protected].

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