The only thing more certain than death or taxes, it appeared, was free agent outfielder Yasmany Tomas signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since the Phillies were called the frontrunners for Tomas' services, even way back for that period of time people thought his name was spelled "Yasmani" many other teams have jumped into the bidding, while the Phillies reportedly were jumping out.
In the Phillies' eyes, they had concerns about Tomas' defense, according to long-time Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Hagen, now with MLB.com:
[w]hile the Phils, who had a private workout with Tomas, still like his bat there are concerns about his defense. They now view him as more of a designated hitter-type player, the sources added. Of course, that thinking could change if the price for Tomas, once estimated to be as high as $100 million, begins to come down."
And then, many other teams entered the bidding.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that there are a variety of offers on the table:
Sources: Tomas weighing short- and long-term offers. If he took three-year deal, would become free agent at 27.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 26, 2014
If the Phillies were concerned about Tomas' defense and Tomas wanted a short-term deal for a free agency later, this could mean the Phillies and Tomas have a match. Yoenis Cespedes opted for this option three years ago; his four-year deal is less than the standard initial major league deal of six years.
The other teams reportedly in on Tomas: the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, and the Atlanta Braves. If defense is really a concern about Tomas, then why would so many National League teams be in on Tomas? The Phillies could have been using this as a negotiating tactic; the team who over the years committed the outfield to Greg Luzinski, Pat Burrell, Delmon Young, and Domonic Brown cannot be that worried about defense.
The latest report about Tomas on mlbtraderumors.com does not even mention the Phillies. If another team in the National League signs Tomas, I will be very disappointed. After all, there are few chances to sign a young player with power, and this is it. All he will cost the Phillies is money.
