Peter Bjarkman, the author of books about Cuban baseball, said conversations with scouts confirmed his own impressions of Diaz as a heady player without great physical skills.
"He's certainly no Alexei Ramirez as far as range, glove or arm,'' Bjarkman said, referring to the Chicago White Sox shortstop and Cuba native. "He's nowhere near in the same category. He's a good, solid player who doesn't make a lot of mistakes, but he doesn't have any overwhelming tools."
Alvarez, 24, played in six Cuban league seasons. He enjoyed a breakthrough year when he batted .363 in 2010-11 but dropped off markedly and averaged less than eight homers a season. His most impressive skill is his arm, and Torres said some teams may consider Alvarez as a pitcher, especially since he did some relief work in his first three seasons.
Bjarkman cautions against expectations on the heels of the terrific debut season by Cespedes of the Oakland A's, saying, .
Bjarkman said Diaz and Alvarez don't rank in the same category as prospects as Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin, who has yet to establish himself with the big club after signing for five years and $15.5 million in May 2011.
"You're not looking at somebody who is going to be an impact player in the major leagues like Cespedes was,'' Bjarkman said. "What you're looking at are a couple of guys who might possibly make it to that level if everything goes right."