Reports surfaced earlier today that Cuban phenom, Yasmany Tomas had agreed to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The deal, reportedly for six years for just under $70 million, is for much less money than anyone expected and Tomas ended up with a team that no one really even knew was in the running. Ruben Amaro had been in touch with Tomas' agent as recent as today, but did not say whether or not the Phillies remained in the final round for Tomas. Per usual, Amaro didn't have much to say about the matter, keeping his comments to a smug minimum.
“We had dialogue for months,” Amaro said. “We had dialogue today. All I can tell you is we had dialogue.”
Amaro was asked if he was disappointed that Tomas would not be a Phillie.
“We are not disappointed,” he said matter-of-factly.
The Phillies were impressed with Tomas’ power, but sources say they had concerns about his conditioning and outfield defense, especially when weighed against the risks of his price tag and lack of major-league track record.
“I’m not going to get into that at all,” Amaro said of the team’s view of Tomas. [CSNPhilly.com]
With the hopes of signing Tomas now in the rear view mirror, the Phillies are, again, left with their aging lineup of veterans with little offensive consistency. Fixing that doesn't seem to be the direction the Phillies are headed either, according to the man in charge.
“Who said we were looking for a power bat?” Amaro said. “We have a long-term plan and the moves we make are based on that. We’re looking for pitching right now. Right now, we’re looking to improve our pitching. We need more pitching.” [CSNPhilly.com]
The starting rotation may indeed need a boost moving forward, especially if the Phillies find a suitor that offers a very good deal for Cole Hamels. With Cliff Lee's future in jeopardy, the rest of the rotation is made up of Jerome Williams and David Buchanan.
For now, the offseason for the Phillies moves along without signing Tomas and with even more unanswered questions for the future.
Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
