Today marks the beginning of MLB’s 2026 international prospects signing period, as all 30 teams can now freely vie for the top amateur talent across the globe. Of course, verbal agreements with a number of prospects have likely already been reached, so even as the period only just opens on January 15th, we’re likely to hear news of many talented prospects signing today. The Yankees have a bonus pool of $5,440,000, which they’ll use to try and upgrade a farm system that they’ve traded liberally from in the last year.
Complicating matters from the Yankees’ perspective, however, is the state of the organization’s international scouting setup. The Yankees let go of longtime director Danny Rowland back in November, and their search, which is led by GM Brian Cashman, for a replacement is still ongoing even as the new period opens. Sources told the New York Daily News earlier this week that the club is “not close” to naming a successor.
Rowland’s departure has had an impact already, with one of the top prospects in this class, shortstop Wandy Asigen, reneging on an agreement with the Yankees after Rowland was fired, Asigen going on to make another agreement with the Mets. That said, it was Rowland’s presence that may have had a negative impact on the club’s farm system for years, with the Yankees struggling to develop a number of high-profile IFA signings. The likes of Roderick Arias, Brando Mayea, and Alexander Vargas, to name just a few, have failed to develop much after signing with the team.
It’s an atypical situation for the beginning of a fresh international calendar, and with the Yankees already starting off with the smallest bonus pool in the league, this may have the makings of a quiet period. In any event, the team will still sign some new talent, and as they do, check back here for latest. We’ll keep you updated with all the signings as the Yankees attempt to find the next Baby Bombers.
The first batch of Yankees international free agent signings is in, per Baseball America! The following players have officially come to terms with the Bombers. Financial specifics are not yet known at this time (unless otherwise noted). As noted above, this will be a less splashy class than the Yankees have had in recent years, but never underestimate what a smaller signing can one day become.
Lopez and Ojeda are more defensive-minded backstops, whereas Melendez is more of a threat with the bat. Beltre and Pichard both put the “short” in “shortstop,” as neither is above 5-foot-10, but both can make hard contact and seem capable of covering any infield position. Rivas would Marcus Stroman proud, as while he’s only 5-foot-8, he has a neat fastball/curve/slider/changeup mix and has the potential to grow even more.
