Yasmany Tomas, Padres Deal Possible By Monday

With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, the rumors surrounding the Padres and Yasmany Tomas continue to gain momentum. According to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, the field has narrowed to the Padres and Braves as the two serious candidates to sign the 24-year-old Cuban slugger. Sanchez reports that officials from the two clubs plan to meet with Tomas in Dominican Republic as soon as this weekend. 

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Tomas, who turned 24 seven days ago, originally worked out in front of scouts for all 30 teams, and then held individual workouts for the Padres, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mariners, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox and Royals.

It is rumored, Sanchez said, that Tomas is looking for a contract between five-to-seven years, that would pay him $15 million annually. Overall, in 205 games, Tomas hit 30 home runs with 104 RBI for Serie Nacional. He also played for Cuba in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, and Baseball America ranked him as the No. 6 prospect in the series.

The Phillies and Royals, along with the Padres, were the teams that initially showed the greatest interest in Tomas, who is projected to play in either right or left field. The Braves, who traded outfielder Jason Heyward to the Cardinals on Monday, had not been mentioned in previous reports.

The Padres as serious contenders to sign the outfielder, comes on the heels of Ken Rosenthal’s report that San Diego “from ownership on down, seems itchy, aggressive, eager to make a splash.” Rosenthal also claimed that new General Manager A.J. Preller has had “baseline” discussions with roughly 200 players.

ESPN’s Buster Olney also Tweeted yesterday that “evaluators with other teams believe the Padres are looking to make a big headline grabbing splash.”

What the Padres do now and between the end of the Winter Meetings should finally shed some light on what exactly Preller and ownership have planned. Recent speculation has included reports that the top half of the rotation could be dismantled, with trades possible for Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross and Ian Kennedy. One thing seems certain: the Padres will make significant moves.