Yasmany Tomas, Yoan Lopez eye big future with D'backs

Note: First in an occasional series on the present - and future of Cuban stars in Major League Baseball.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – They have a past in common they'd rather not share publicly, a present more prosperous than they could have ever imagined and a future with the promise of a dream becoming reality.

There are plenty of differences between Yasmany Tomas and Yoan Lopez, the two Cuban defectors the Arizona Diamondbacks signed this offseason, but like most players from the communist island, they are bound by the difficulties they endured in reaching this country.

Tomas, 24, is a thickly built outfielder and third baseman who is personable with teammates and reserved with the news media, a former star on the legendary Industriales club in Havana and a member of the Cuban national team.

The more gregarious Lopez, 22, is a string bean right-hander at 6-3, 190 pounds, and he never achieved national-team status while pitching for the lesser-known Isla de la Juventud, yet he has been turning eyes in camp with his bullpen sessions.

Together they represent a major part of the Diamondbacks' commitment to reversing their recent downward spiral under the new regime of chief baseball officer Tony La Russa, general manager Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale.

Arizona spent roughly $85 million on the two imports – $68.5 million of that on Tomas – hoping they'll not only help the club bounce back after a last-place finish in 2014, but also spark baseball interest in the Valley of the Sun. The Diamondbacks' attendance total of 2.07 million last season, just below its average for the last six years, ranked next-to-last in the National League.

Few details are known about the players' path to freedom, other than they spent time in the Dominican Republic and got their residency papers – essential for gaining free agency – in Haiti.

"It was very difficult, but I don't want to talk about it,'' Lopez told Paste BN Sports in Spanish. "It brings back bad memories.''

Tomas said he hasn't even told his story to Lopez, but revealed that his primary motivation for leaving last June was not baseball. Tomas' then-girlfriend and current wife, Melissa, had obtained a visa to travel to the United States, and he decided to follow her.

"If she had stayed in Cuba, I would still be in Cuba,'' Tomas said. "Everybody wants to get to the top level at their job, but that was never what drove me.''

Nonetheless, he and Lopez can't wait to get a taste of the highest level of their profession now that they're so close.

GALLERY: Cuban players hitting it big in the majors

Given his price tag, age and pedigree, Tomas is expected to make the more immediate impact. He was known for hitting prodigious home runs in Cuba but also for striking out frequently and missing extended stretches with injuries. Tomas batted .293 with 37 homers over the last three seasons in the hitter-friendly Serie Nacional, striking out 142 times in 821 plate appearances.

That ratio of 5.8-1 would be acceptable in the majors but figures to increase with the tougher pitching he'll face. In addition, the Diamondbacks are trying to make Tomas a full-time third baseman, adding a layer of complexity to what's already a difficult transition.

Tomas insists he's ready for the challenge.

"I played a lot of third base in Cuba and I like it,'' said Tomas, listed as 6-2 and 230 pounds. "I played in the outfield because it was more comfortable for me, but Tony (La Russa) talked to me in the Dominican Republic and told me it was in my hands. I said, 'No problem. Let's do it.'''

The early reviews have been mixed - manager Chip Hale said Friday that Tomas' spring debut at third was "encouraging' - but it might be telling that two former Cuban league opponents expressed skepticism about Tomas' ability to play third at the big-league level.

The Diamondbacks have a glut of outfielders and would much prefer to keep Tomas at third if he can handle it, but Stewart said the club would remain open-minded instead of forcing the issue.

"If it is (too much), we'll move him back to the outfield,'' Stewart said. "First we have to know that he's ready to play in the big leagues. That's the first question. We have to be sure he can hit here.''

Tomas developed confidence that he could measure up against top pros from his standout performance in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which he deems a key step in his career. In six games, Tomas batted .375 with two homers and a 1.224 OPS.

Tomas said the riches he has attained – the second-biggest contract for a Cuban player, behind Rusney Castillo's $72.5 million deal with the Boston Red Sox – were not a prime consideration in his desire to reach the big leagues.

"It never crossed my mind to come to the United States and play in the major leagues so I could be a millionaire,'' Tomas said. "If it were the best baseball in the world and you didn't get paid millions to play, I still would want to play. We didn't get paid much in Cuba.''

One pitcher Tomas could not handle in Cuba was his new teammate Lopez, who struck him out all three times they faced each other.

Even though Lopez had to wait 13 months to get the paperwork that allowed him to sign in January, he marveled early in camp at how quickly he had gone from joining the organization to sharing a clubhouse with the likes of Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo.

Lopez's $8.27 million bonus – which cost the Diamondbacks about twice that much because he was subject to the guidelines for signing international amateurs – was the largest given to an international amateur until the Red Sox blew away the record by awarding infielder Yoan Moncada a $31.5 million contract in February.

New teammate Archie Bradley, who like Lopez is competing for a spot in the wide-open Diamondbacks rotation, has heard about the hardships Cubans endure to gain their freedom and congratulated him.

"I told him I was really happy for him and excited for him,'' Bradley said, "because on one day you change your life forever with money like that.''

Lopez, who left Cuba with his father, Rodolfo, is heartened by the attempt at normalizing relations between the island's government and the U.S. announced by President Obama in December.

"It's good to see them try to have a better relationship. We're in the same world,'' Lopez said. "I hope someday the players from Cuba will have the opportunity to play pro baseball here without having to go through what we have.''

GALLERY: Scenes from spring training