The latest minor moves from around the game…
- The Nationals have re-signed first baseman/outfielder Yasmany Tomas and southpaw reliever T.J. McFarland to minor league contracts, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post relays. The team originally signed the pair of veterans to minors pacts during the offseason, but it released them shortly before the 2021 campaign began. Still just 30, Tomas was a star in his native Cuba, which led the Diamondbacks to sign him to a six-year, $68.5MM deal heading into 2015. However, Tomas had a rough time in Arizona, where he combined an underwhelming line of .266/.306/.459 (97 wRC+) in 1,175 plate appearances with poor defense, and hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2019. McFarland, another ex-Diamondback, spent last year as a member of the Athletics, with whom he registered a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old has induced grounders at a tremendous 62.8 percent clip and notched a 4.08 ERA/3.83 SIERA during his 401-inning run in the majors among Arizona, Oakland and Baltimore, though he has only recorded a strikeout percentage of 13.6.
- The Marlins have brought back lefty Brandon Leibrandt on a minors deal, Craig Mish of SportsGrid tweets. The 28-year-old Leibrandt picked up his first MLB experience with the Marlins last season and tossed nine innings of two-run, three-hit ball, but he succeeded in spite of issuing seven walks against three strikeouts. The Marlins outrighted him after the season. He’ll report to their alternate site, according to Mish.
Has anyone seen Tomas play first enough to give an opinion on how he is there? I haven’t but I feel like it has to be a disaster.
I can’t imagine Tomas is any worse at 1B than Josh Bell or Ryan Zimmerman (at this point). If Tomas hit with the power and consistency the D’backs were hoping for when they signed him his defense wouldn’t even be an issue
@Rsox that’s what I was thinking. But just can’t see him going from stone-handed outfielder to even a “meh” first basemen. It just seems like a move that is still hoping he has offensive potential, even if it’s just for AAA
Probably more of a signing for games using the DH or simply depth at AAA.
Side note: why do teams continue to award big contracts to players who have never played in the USA, yet play games with service time for drafted players from this country which holds them at the MLB minimum an extra year?
It just seems that there really is an unbalanced financial methodology. I guess I can understand why players and their agents get greedy when they see teams shedding millions on foreign players and then handcuff our own homegrown, college graduates who work their way up through the minors just to have service time manipulated even when they are ready.
One does not need to imagine that Tomas is worse than Bell and Zimm..
Tomas had a FLD% of .979 at 1B in Reno so I think you’d be surprised by how bad he can actually be defensively.
If there is no DH spot exclusively for the man, I don’t think one can justify a spot for him on the 40-man roster and even then, who’s going to give that to someone who hasn’t hit at the highest level since 2017?
The only way Tomas plays for a MLB team this season is due to a starter contracting an injury or a Covid case. As far as The Nats are concerned, even at his current age of 71 Zimmerman > Tomas.
peace and quiet. 🙂
nice to see Leibs get another chance. hopefully he can stay healthy this time.
Leibrandt’s dad was better. Won 140 games and got cheated out of an all star nod going 17-9 one year with a sub 3 era. Son worth taking a flier on.
The only way Tomas plays for a MLB team this season is due to a starter contracting an injury or a Covid case. As far as The Nats are concerned, even at his current age of 71, Zimmerman > Tomas.