Report: Diamondbacks to acquire Cuban Yasmany Tomas

Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas has agreed to a 6-year, $68.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to an MLB.com report.

The Diamondbacks have not confirmed the deal, as general manager Dave Stewart, Senior vice president of Baseball Operations De Jon Watson and Tomas' agent, Jay Alou, all said no agreement is in place.

That could just be semantics, though. The expectation is that Tomas will join the Diamondbacks as a corner outfielder for the 2015 season.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Diamondbacks had popped up in reports about free-agent slugger Tomas, at first hanging on the periphery of the market, with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants most intimately involved.

But recently the Diamondbacks have been considered more serious suitors. Earlier Wednesday Stewart said the team is very interested in the 24-year-old.

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"We've talked to his people," Stewart said. "We understand the parameters in which they all work under. We're sitting here internally trying to figure out what we want to do and if we can be a part of the negotiation."

Stewart stopped short of saying the team has made a formal contract offer to Tomas, but did suggest the framework is in place to make one, saying, "they understand what our position is and what areas we're willing to go."

The team has not met with Tomas, but Stewart, Watson and top scout Mike Russell have all watched Tomas work out in the Dominican Republic.

Tomas is listed as 6-1 and 230 pounds and is probably a best fit for a corner outfield position, which would jeopardize the spots of Mark Trumbo, Cody Ross or Ender Inciarte. Baseball America rates him as having 70 power on the scouts' 20-to-80 scale.

Some clubs, most notably the Giants and Padres, seems to be looking at him at third base, though.

"We saw him in the outfield, but we've also seen him do some infield ground balls at third base," Stewart said. "I think probably the majority of people – because it's the position he's played most – see him in the outfield. That would be where his comfort is."

A recent Fox Sports report suggested that Tomas is weighing both long- and short-term offers. A shorter term deal in the neighborhood of three years would allow him to reach free agency again before he hits age 30, setting up a big payday if he lives up to expectations.

The reported deal with the Diamondbacks is said to include an opt-out clause, although no details were provided about when that clause could be exercised. Stewart said earlier Wednesday that the Diamondbacks preferred a longer deal with a lower average annual salary.

The reported deal puts Tomas in the neighborhood of Boston's Rusney Castillo, who signed a seven-year deal worth $72.5 million, which included a $5.4 million signing bonus, in August. Tomas' deal would give him a higher average annual salary than Castillo - $11.4 million to $10.3 million.

The deal would add significant stress to a Diamondbacks payroll that was said to hover around $90 million in 2015. Arizona has nearly $69 million in salary on the books for the upcoming season, before factoring in arbitration raises for several players, including recently acquired starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. Adding those raises and Tomas would put Arizona's payroll in the neighborhood of $105 million.

Buchanon writes for the Arizona Republic, a Gannnett property