Diamondbacks' Hale: 'There's a definite chance' Yasmany Tomas could open season in minors

Yasmany Tomas hasn't exactly dazzled in his first spring training with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and manager Chip Hale admitted Thursday the 27-year-old could start the season in the minor leagues.

"Yeah, there's a definite chance," Hale told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. "It's going to come down to us all sitting down and everybody talking about what's best for the major-league team."

The power Tomas displayed in Cuba has thus far translated to the Cactus League - he boasts a .468 slugging percentage through 16 spring games - but the defector has done little else to impress the Diamondbacks, who signed him to a six-year, $68.5-million deal in November.

Hale, however, noted that the club's substantial financial investment in Tomas won't affect where he opens the 2015 campaign.

"You want him to be able to produce at the major-league level, too, so if we think he's ready, he will," Hale said. "But you have to do what's best for the player, too. (Yasiel) Puig went back to the minor leagues. A lot of guys started in the minor leagues. Just because you get paid out a lot of money out of the chute, you have to do what's best for the development of him."

It also remains unclear how the Diamondbacks will utilize Tomas, who has experience at third base and in the outfield but hasn't inspired much optimism with his infield defense thus far.

"He could do both," Hale said. "He could be a guy who'd do both on the big-league team, or he could do both in the minor leagues. We haven't decided to take him off third yet, I think the point is."