Yasmany Tomas To The Diamondbacks: What It Means For The Rockies

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas. What does that mean for the Colorado Rockies and the rest of the NL West?

Is slugging outfielder Yasmany Tomas the next big thing from Cuba? If he is, how bad is that for the Rockies?

For a glimpse of what Yasmany Tomas can do to a baseball, please regard the following highlight from the 2013 World Baseball Classic:

So we have actually seen Tomas’s power, strengthening the case that the Diamondbacks are getting a proven commodity much the same way the Chicago White Sox did with Jose Abreu one year ago. As if that’s not enough, check out these tidbits from scouts on Tomas, as passed along by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com:

"What kind of player is Arizona getting in Tomas? Any scouting report on him features the word “power,” with a wide array of adjectives in front of it.Big power, prolific power, all-fields power and, occasionally, jaw-dropping power. To one NL scout, Tomas’ power is readily apparent in his vise grip of a greeting.“He can bury your hands with a handshake,” the scout said."

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As far as quick reactions are concerned, this means a couple things for the Rockies:

1. The whole NL West is trying to make splashy moves

We know about the free-spending Dodgers. The Padres were reportedly in on Tomas before the Diamondbacks landed him. Those same Padres made a significant attempt to sign Pablo Sandoval before the Red Sox landed him. The Giants have money to spend after Sandoval’s departure and they have been linked to guys like Jon Lester.

Every team but the Rockies appears willing to get super-aggressive this off-season.

2. The Diamondbacks’ lineup just got scary

At the very least, the heart of the order is going to be no fun. Paul Goldschmidt and Tomas?

Should be a thrill.