SnakeBytes, 12/1: December will be magic again

Tomás, hardly

Looks like we are now down to the dotting of i's and crossing of t's.

Tomas and #DBacks still finalizing language and signing bonus payment dates. But final terms were agreed upon last night.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 30, 2014

[Fox Sports] Making a player out of Yasmani Tomas scouting reports - "Maybe Tomas is Justin Upton. Maybe Tomas is Dayan Viciedo. At the center of our expectations, we get a projection as a league-average 24-year-old. That player right there is worth an eight-figure contract, so it's hard to say the Diamondbacks made a mistake. Tomas has growth potential from his current profile, as he approaches what should be his peak."

[WSJ] The Diamondbacks’ Cuban Sensation, Before He Made It Big - "About a year ago, I visited Cuba to see what baseball was like there. Among the players I saw was Tomas, a then-23-year-old cleanup hitter and right fielder. His name came up in every discussion I had about baseball while I was there. In the three games I saw, he ripped several extra-base hits (including one in the video above), threw out a runner from deep right and thrilled the remarkably lively Cuban crowds."

[padres.com] Padres continue search for offensive upgrade - The Padres, according to a source, made an early offer to the 24-year-old outfielder. They were told as recently as last week that they didn't have the highest bid for Tomas' services. "As we went through the process, we felt comfortable with our evaluation and our offer," said Preller told MLB.com. "There were no surprises at the end. We just weren't able to connect." [Translation = "He wasn't any good. We never wanted him anyway.. And he smells."]

Elsewhere in baseball

Breaking as we speak, it looks like another free-agent domino has falled, with reports having Nelson Cruz signing a deal with the Mariners, supposedly in the four-year, $57 million range. He certainly made the most of his contract year, leading the majors as the only player to hit 40 home-runs [man, how things change. As recently as 2006, eleven players reached that mark. The last time there was only one, was 1989] and batting .271. CBS Sports ranked him the #5 free-agent position player available this winter., and the market appears to be moving much quicker this winter, with only Victor Martinez unsigned of the top six.

[MLB.com] Lester reportedly meeting with Giants today - Lester has also met with the Cubs, who reportedly have offered "north of" $135 million over six years; the Red Sox, who have made an offer to their former ace [The Boston Globe reported it is a six-year deal in the $110 million-$120 million range]; the Braves and the Cardinals.

[SI.com] A's trading Josh Donaldson to Blue Jays signals shift toward rebuilding - The A’s are signaling a lack of confidence in the team they have left. With Donaldson following Cespedes and Russell out the door and the teenaged Barreto being the most significant part of the return, the A’s appear to be entering a rebuilding stage. The result is likely a lost 2015 season that will give spring-2014 Tommy John patients Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin time to get back to full strength and that will find the A’s papering over the holes in their lineup with the likes of Billy Butler, Ike Davis, and the fragile Lowrie.

[US News Harm From Baseball Concussions May Linger, Study Finds - Researchers looked at 59 MLB players who suffered a concussion between 2007 and 2013. During their first two weeks back in action, the players' batting performances were much poorer than those of 63 players who had been away from the game due to the birth of a child or death of a family member.

[Rolling Stone] The 15 Worst Owners in Sports - No local interest, but four baseball franchises do make the list. No real surprises at who is the highest-ranked owner from our sport. Warning. It gets a bit ranty, to say the least. NFSW for language, 'cos Rolling Stone is edgy like that.