SAN DIEGO - Chip Hale thought back to the spark Yoenis Cespedes gave the Oakland Athletics. Now Arizonas new manager is hoping Yasmany Tomas can have the same effect on the Diamondbacks.At the first news conference of the winter meetings to discuss a player, Arizona announced Monday that it had finalized a six-year contract with the 24-year-old Cuban defector, a deal worth $68.5 million.This search for talent goes on for 100 years, and it was kind of limited. And now its expanded to Latin America. Now it goes to the Pacific Rim, said Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, hired in May as Arizonas chief baseball officer. Recently Cuban players are re-emerging. You go to the old days with (Tony) Oliva and (Jose) Cardenal and (Bert) Campaneris, so you know theyre playing quality baseball down there.Arizona said the deal was signed a day earlier in the Dominican Republic. Tomas can opt out after the 2018 season and become a free agent again.If he plays well, my guess would be that ownership would want to extend his contract before his opt comes, new Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart said.Hale, who worked with Cespedes as Oaklands bench coach, looked forward to having Tomas hit alongside Paul Goldschmidt and Mark Trumbo in his batting order as Arizona tries to rebound from a major league-worst 64-98 record.Pitchers are going to fear that lineup, he predicted.Tomas hit .375 (6 for 16) for Cuba with two homers and five RBIs in last years World Baseball Classic. The Diamondbacks said he hit 30 homers with 104 RBIs in 205 regular-season games for Industriales in the Cuban Serie Nacional.He may be shifted from the outfield to the infield.We have to see him, put our eyes on him, both at third base and with a bat and see how he does at spring training, Hale said. Were hoping that he can break with the team. Caleb Swanigan Blazers Jersey . The struggling New Orleans Pelicans were simply overmatched. Crawford hit seven 3s on his way to 24 points, and the Clippers beat the Pelicans 123-110 on Monday night. "We understand what we do well. If we all do what we do well, well make our team stronger," Crawford said. Georgios Papagiannis Blazers Jersey .com) - Darius Carter and Ron Baker scored 18 points apiece to help 13th-ranked Wichita State beat Evansville 61-41 on Saturday. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Brando...Edition-Jersey/. After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. C.J. McCollum Jersey .ca NHL Power Rankings, ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks. Moving up, from 10 to seven this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight despite a depleted lineup. Wade Baldwin Blazers Jersey . The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who lose three straight finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal from 2006-08, has not played in the tournament since 2011, when he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals.The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenceman Nick Schultz to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million. Schultz, 31, split the 2013-14 season between the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets, posting five assists and 28 penalty minutes in 69 total games. Originally drafted in the second round (33rd overall) by the Minnesota Wild of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he has appeared in 880 games with the Minnesota Wild, Oilers and Blue Jaskets. Schultz was traded to Edmonton in exchange for Tom Gilbert on February 27, 2012 and spent parts of three seasons with the Oilers before being traded to Columbus for a fifth-round draft pick at the trade deadline on March 5, 2014.dddddddddddd. The club also signed forward Zack Stortini to a one-year, two-way contract later in the day. The 28-year-old spent the 2013-2014 season with the Anaheim Ducks organization, playing with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. He scored four goals and added five assists with a league-leading 299 penalty minutes. ' ' '