The costless agent market this season will be very light in power hitters. Hanley Ramirez is the most accomplished power threat, however, Cuban-born outfielder Yasmany Tomas is the biggest X-factor in the costless agent market this off-season.
Tomas was a prolific power hitter in his native country of Cuba and has played five seasons in the Serie Nacional professional league despite being just 23-years-old. His youth and power potential will make him the one of the most sought after costless agents despite the fact he has never played a game in the Major Leagues.
Rusney Castillo, the most recent Cuban defector, signed a seven-year, $72.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox last month. Some experts have predicted that Tomas' contract could surpass the massive commitment that Castillo obtained.
When a player with Tomas' ability and potential hits the market, one would expect the usual suspects to be involved in negotiations. According to Peter Gammons that prediction is correct. The New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers are all considered to be early front-runners for the powerful Cuban. However, according to the same article, Gammons mentioned that the San Diego Padres are interested as well.
The Padres are typically not a team that is involved in big-name costless agent contracts. The Padres signed reclamation project Josh Johnson and reliever Joaquin Benoit to costless agent deals totaling $23.5 million last off-season. The largest contract the Padres have ever handed out was the $52 million extension for Jake Peavy, who was promptly traded before the deal actually kicked in.
The Padres have a new ownership group that brought the payroll to a team record $90 million, a still-paltry sum in today's game, but a positive progression for the low-revenue Padres. The team is on pace for another losing season, and just recently replaced their general manager. San Diego is starved for offense, and the beleaguered fan base has not seen the postseason since 2006. There is no buzz in San Diego. Spending on arguably the most intriguing position player in the costless agent market would be a step in the right direction for San Diego. Even if the Padres were to sign Tomas, many fans would argue that he is not an established star and not a player that the organization should pay nearly $100 million.
Ben Badler of Baseball America says that Tomas is rated as a 70 on the power scale, and he projects as a middle-of-the-order type bat. He might need a little seasoning in the minors, with Triple-A being a likely destination. While he has battled some injuries, Tomas' power is comparable to his fellow countryman Jose Abreu. While it may be unrealistic to expect Tomas to replicate the success of Abreu, his talents should be comparable.
Tomas is far from a guaranteed star, but his talents exemplifies the type of risk San Diego should take. The Padres have used .208 hitter Jedd Gyorko as their number three hitter down the stretch. The Padres do not have anyone in their lineup who has the potential to swat 30 homers. Tomas could be that guy.
Conversely, a Tomas signing would be a shot in the arm to a fan base who is as downtrodden as any in all of baseball. Tomas would be a beacon of optimism -- something that sells tickets.
It seems unlikely that the Padres would be able to outbid financial giants like the Texas Rangers or New York Yankees, but San Diego needs to take a risk. Tomas could be the star player San Diego hasn't had since Tony Gwynn.