Cuban Outfielder Yasmani Tomas Signs with Diamondbacks for $68.5 million

HAVANA TIMES — Yasmani Tomas, one of the most recent stars of the Cuban baseball league to flee the island, signed a six-year $68.5 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks, reported dpa news on Wednesday.

According to mlb.com, the agreement must still be confirmed and is waiting for the Cuban ballplayer to pass a required medical exam.

Tomas, who just turned 24, escaped from Cuba in June, following the path of other stars from the island such as Yasiel Puig, José Abreu, Rusney Castillo, Jorge Soler, Yoennis Cespedes, Aroldis Chapman, etc. He first arrived to Haiti and then went to the Dominican Republic, where he trained for the past four months. After receiving permission from the US Treasury Department in September, he began scouting sessions for Major League teams.

The D-backs, which were the worst team in the National League last season with a record of 64-98, finally won the bidding war, according to mlb.com.

In Cuba, Tomas played five seasons for Industriales of Havana, with whom he had 43 homers, 160 RBIs and a .289 batting average in 291 games since 2008.

Rusney Castillo, also an outfielder, signed in August with the Boston Red Sox for $ 72.5 million.