Atlanta Braves Have Finally Signed Dian Toscano
By Jeff Schafer
The Atlanta Braves have finally signed Cuban outfielder Dian Toscano to a major league contract. This was earlier reported on December 8th by Ben Badler but the Braves never made this official. Toscano and the Braves were still working on the details of the financial paperwork.
From a tweet from Mark Bowman, it sounds like the sides have agreed and the official signing is waiting on a physical.
Update on Cuban OF Dian Toscano. The #Braves have completed the financial specifics. The deal is now pending a physical.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 10, 2014
The 25-year-old is a 5-foot-10, 200 pound outfielder who bats left-handed with good bat control and strike-zone awareness. He had a slash line of .356/.400/.452 in 86 plate appearances in the 2012-2013 season…his last season in Cuba. He was supposedly suspended and removed from his Cuba team’s roster after he defected from Cuba and he landed in the Dominican Republic.
He never played on the Cuban national team so many scouts really haven’t had a good look at this young player.
He has experience playing all outfield positions and played first base in Cuba. He looks like he will be a bench bat that the Braves could use in many different position if needed. They will give him a shot in Spring Training and see what he can do.
When the Braves were down in the Dominican scouting Yasmany Tomas, they may have saw Toscano on the field and decided they wanted to give this guy a shot. Whether he was catching batting practice on the field when Tomas was hitting or took BP before or after Tomas, somehow the Braves representatives that were down in the DR saw Toscano.
I think the Braves see a good contact hitter that could come off the bench as a pinch hitter and be successful. He can also play multiple position in the field while hitting for average at the plate.
He’ll head into the spring with a rumored major league contract and on the Braves 40-man roster. This does not mean he will make the Braves opening day roster but he has the chance.
Right now, from my count on the Braves 40-man roster it seems like the Braves have 41 players…after the Braves signed Alberto Callaspo yesterday. Other than two minor signings the Braves have been quiet, could this be the calm before the storm? Could a trade be on the horizon?