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The Cuban Defectors Thread

davell
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Well, damn. I really want this guy.
davell Chicago Cubs

davell

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Realistically, we have Lake, Sweeney, and Ruggiano under contract for next year. KB could be in RF, Alcantara could be in CF. Bryant could be at 3B, Alcantara could be at 2B.

 

At any rate, we definitely need 2 starting OF for next year.

Hairyducked Idiot All-Star

Hairyducked Idiot

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Realistically, we have Lake, Sweeney, and Ruggiano under contract for next year. KB could be in RF, Alcantara could be in CF. Bryant could be at 3B, Alcantara could be at 2B.

 

At any rate, we definitely need 2 starting OF for next year.

 

I think we get one and a borderline guy who can start or come off the bench.

 

By May next year, we get Alcantara in CF, Bryant in RF (maybe LF?) and Baez at 2b.

davell Chicago Cubs

davell

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Realistically, we have Lake, Sweeney, and Ruggiano under contract for next year. KB could be in RF, Alcantara could be in CF. Bryant could be at 3B, Alcantara could be at 2B.

 

At any rate, we definitely need 2 starting OF for next year.

 

I think we get one and a borderline guy who can start or come off the bench.

 

By May next year, we get Alcantara in CF, Bryant in RF (maybe LF?) and Baez at 2b.

 

Valbuena at 3B?

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A righthanded-hitting corner outfielder, Tomas can hit towering home runs thanks to the strength from his thickly-built 6-foot-1, 230-pound frame. Tomas has 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale, and with Jose Abreu already gone, the only player still in Cuba with more raw power than him was Alfredo Despaigne. He has some experience in center field and is a decent runner for his size, but his speed is still below-average and he’s going to be a corner outfielder in pro ball.

 

Tomas was one of the youngest players on the Cuban national team at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, although he had an up-and-down season for his Industriales team this past season. Given his present talent level, Tomas might have a chance to go straight into a major league lineup, but a more likely scenario would have him starting in the upper minors, with Triple-A seeming like a good fit.

 

...

 

Tomas did show some swing-and-miss tendencies at the WBC with an uppercut stroke and trouble handling good breaking pitches. Three months after the WBC, when Cuba took a team to the U.S. last summer to face the college national team, the U.S. power arms were able to exploit some of those holes by beating him with good velocity up and in and getting him to swing through soft stuff in and out of the zone.

 

This past season in Cuba, which ended with Industriales losing in the semifinals in April, Tomas seemed to regress, even losing playing time in the second half, which one source said was the result of an arm injury he sustained crashing into an outfield wall in February. He finished the season at .290/.346/.450 with six home runs, 21 walks and 46 strikeouts in 257 plate appearances.

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From Badler's top WBC prospects article where he ranked Tomas sixth (he didn't include teenagers who barely played like Jen-Ho Tseng in his ranking):

 

Cuba started the WBC playing longtime national teamer Alexei Bell in right field. By the end of the tournament, more and more playing time was going to Tomas, who became one of the breakout players in the WBC. Tomas, 22, has emerged as one of the top young players in Cuba, hitting .346/.403/.638 in 39 games this season.

 

At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Tomas is a strong righthanded hitter with good bat speed and at least plus power, as Despaigne and Abreu were the only players on Cuba with more raw power than him. He can drive the ball out of the park form right-center field over to his pull side and does a good job of staying inside the ball and driving pitches to the opposite field at times. He does have an uppercut stroke that creates some holes in his swing, but he has a strong finish and uses his wrists well. Tomas had trouble handling quality breaking pitches, so he’s going to have to make adjustments to either make more contact or lay off breaking stuff off the plate. Tomas runs well for his size and has a solid arm that should fit in right field, although with his thick frame he’s going to have to work to maintain his body. Tomas is a little more than a year older than Jorge Soler, and while Tomas may be a more advanced player right now due to his age, the scouting consensus is that Soler is a better prospect because Soler has more athleticism and has more natural ability at the plate.

 

For reference:

 

1. Masahiro Tanaka, RHP, Japan

2. Jose Fernandez, 2B, Cuba

3. Yulieski Gourriel, 3B, Cuba

4. Jose Abreu, 1B, Cuba

5. Alfredo Despaigne, OF, Cuba

7. Kenta Maeda, RHP, Japan

Hairyducked Idiot All-Star

Hairyducked Idiot

Old-Timey Member
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Realistically, we have Lake, Sweeney, and Ruggiano under contract for next year. KB could be in RF, Alcantara could be in CF. Bryant could be at 3B, Alcantara could be at 2B.

 

At any rate, we definitely need 2 starting OF for next year.

 

I think we get one and a borderline guy who can start or come off the bench.

 

By May next year, we get Alcantara in CF, Bryant in RF (maybe LF?) and Baez at 2b.

 

Valbuena at 3B?

 

 

Yes. I didn't sleep much last night and am kind of foggy, but Baez has been working at 2b and not 3b on those occasions where they have him taking balls elsewhere, right? If I'm misremembering, just flip them.

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@BenBadler: I've see Yasmani Tomas play in Japan, the US and in the Cuban league over the last 15 months. Swing has holes, but the raw power is huge.

 

@BenBadler: Not for me. Abreu a much more polished hitter at this stage. RT @rrrubennnnnn scouting report similar to Jose Abreu ?
Guest

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Heh:

 

@BenBadler: From watching Yasmani Tomas play in Cuba a lot this year, I can say this: You're going to love (or hate) his home run celebrations.
Sammy Sofa GOAT

Sammy Sofa

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I'll gladly take him, but some of these reports aren't exactly glowing.

 

We got the only one that had glowing reports and he's a broken toy. Meanwhile Puig, Cespedes and Abreu and their question marks are out their manhandling everyone withing sight. Sign this guy or else I will go on a rampage.

Deeg Draft Eligible

Deeg

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I would certainly say go all-out to sign Tomas, because he fills an area of need, has the tool this F.O. values above all else (power), the FA crop for OF sucks and our payroll commitments are ridiculously low. But saying that, I think Tomas is definitely a couple of steps below Puig, Cespedes and Abreu as a prospect. He's no sure thing, not likely to be a star and could bust altogether. It's just that the rewards far outweigh the risks for a team in the Cubs' position.
A New Era Myrtle Beach Pelicans

A New Era

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not hyped about the guy but we need talent in the OF and we need it quick. Sign and trade in a couple years once our OF is stacked.
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@BenBadler: Clubs are expecting a showcase in the Miami area next week for Cuban OF Rusney Castillo. Could be a key second-half addition for a team.
A New Era Myrtle Beach Pelicans

A New Era

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is it still a key addition if the Cubs sign him?

 

Not for this second half, for sure. But I'm all for any "key" addition like that. No matter what time of year it occurs.

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