Zolecki: Pat Gillick Said No To Yasmany Tomás
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The Phillies are in dire need of an outfielder with power. So, when the 6'1", 229-pound Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas came along, it seemed like the perfect fit.
And while the Phillies---according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki---liked the 24-year-old power-hitting prospect, apparently Phillies acting CEO Pat Gillick ultimately said no.
"He actually worked out at the Phillies' facility in the Dominican Republic," Zolecki said of Tomas, with Anthony Gargano and Rob Ellis Tuesday on 94WIP Afternoons. "So they saw this guy, more than any other team, more than any other scouting department anywhere. They knew Yasmany Tomas better than anybody. There were people in the Phillies [organization] that really liked him a lot. But, in the end, it sounds to me that Gillick put the kibosh on that thing and said, 'You know what, I'm not comfortable paying this guy 70, 75 million dollars.'"
Listen to Todd Zolecki on 94WIP Afternoons:
Ultimately, Tomas signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for a price that---Zolecki believes---was too steep for Gillick's liking. Zolecki's read is that Gillick has final say on personnel decisions, not general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.
"Yesterday, I talked to Pat and I said, 'Now Pat, did you say no to the pursuit [of Tomas]?'" Zolecki recalled. "'Did Ruben say no to the pursuit?' And Pat said, 'I'd rather not delve into that.'"
"And to me, you kinda---you've been in the business long enough, you kind of read between the lines here," Zolecki continued. "He didn't say no it was me, no it was Ruben, but he kind of like side-stepped the question and to me that's kind of an indication that Pat wasn't comfortable giving this guy---he [Tomas] ended up signing for 68.5 million dollars, so I think they weren't comfortable going more than that."
You may also be interested in these Sports stories:
