Whether it's the signing and developing of players like Luis Severino in 2011 or trading for Gleyber Torres in 2016, the Yankees have focused on the international market for years and the club has a long track record of success.
:: 2018 International Signing Period :: This year, the club is making another strong push on the global baseball scene.
According to industry sources, the Yankees are the favorites to land outfielder Kevin Alcantara, No. 10 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list and have agreed to a deals with catcher Antonio Gomez (No. 11), worth $600,000, and right-hander Denny Larrondo (No. 29), worth $550,000.
Alcantara, who is not eligible to sign until he turns 16 on July 12, is expected to command a bonus in the $1 million range. The club has also been linked to Cuban pitcher Osiel Rodriguez, who ranks No. 9.
The club did not confirm the deals.
A natural center fielder, Alcantara glides across the outfield and has impressed scouts with his closing speed. He displays an average and accurate arm. He has shown above average speed and consistently tops the 100 mph mark in exit velocity. He's known as a gamer.
Gomez is considered among the elite catchers in this year's class. He has a strong arm now and projects to have well above-average arm strength. He has also shown sound receiving skills. At the plate, he has an easy swing with power to the gaps.
As for Rodriguez, scouts love his big arm. His fastball has been clocked at 97 mph and the pitch usually hovers in the low to mid-90s. He starred on Cuba's 15U and 18U team. Larrondo is an aggressive strike-thrower with a working changeup. He's touched 94 mph with his fastball and his curveball could be his second best pitch.
According to the rules established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the MLB Draft received a pool of $6,025,400, while clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A of the Draft received $5,504,500. All other clubs, including the Yankees, received $4,983,500.
Teams are allowed to trade as much of their international pool money as they would like, but can only acquire 75 percent of a team's initial pool amount. Additionally, signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 and have played as in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.