International Scouting Catastrophe in the Bronx

International Scouting Catastrophe in the Bronx

…Late September Thoughts from Cary Greene

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This may come as a surprise, but the Yankees had a switch-hitting third baseman stashed in Triple-A this season who rocked a .790 OPS who was a plus fielder, a plus base runner who could also play all over the diamond and who also popped 19 home runs in Scranton. The guy was no fluke - he is very clearly ready for a chance at the Big Leagues…or should I say, he’s ready for another chance, one the Yankees chose not to give him.

Perhaps the Yankees biggest need this season has been at third base, hasn’t it? I’m really struggling to figure all of this out. Please help me in the comments below. I’m wondering if Brian Cashman has lost his marbles at this point.

Yet, a few days ago I began scratching my head as I wondered how on earth the Yankees could fail at helping Oswaldo Cabrera succeed, as they let Terry Francona and the Cincinnati  Reds scoop Cabrera up on waivers - getting literally nothing in return. 

Let’s face it, if enough international amateur signings don’t pan out, heads are gonna roll and that’s exactly what happened this past Tuesday in the Bronx. That was a pretty big mouthful. Let it marinate for a short time, while you conjure up memories of Jasson Dominguez, who was signed as an International Free Agent for $5 million, running around in the outfield like Jack-pudding!

Then, remember his many plate appearances this season that piled up, one after another, tallying a measly 76 wRC+ / .144 ISO which equated to an anemic .635 OPS. Granted, Dominguez is still very young in baseball terms (23 years - 7 months-old at the time of this writing), but what MLB scouts throughout the League whispered about him after first getting glimpses of his play stateside are certainly ringing true today. How could so many scouts from so many different organizations be right while the Yankees own scouts have proven to be so wrong?

Now add Roderick Arias to the mix, who currently has a Future Value of 35+ to his rank and profile this season per FanGraphs and this, after what was a very good season for Arias, across two levels of the Yankees system. He slashed .267/.349/.435/.784, driving in 84 runs and belting 16 home runs. It was by far the first good season Arias has had as a prospect in the Yankees organization but there are still valid doubts that his hit tool and plus raw power will be able to translate to game situations at the MLB level.

Folks, we’ve seen a good many Yankees International Amateur signings die on the vine. Long after the complete and utter failure to make it of Jackson Melián, signed by the Yankees back in 1994 and who is perhaps best remembered for being a part of the trade that brought Knobby (Chuck Knoblauch to the Yankees in 1998), the Yankees are still largely whiffing on their ability to scout and identify international amateur talent.

Let’s be clear, the Yankees can’t afford this type of blundering, bumbling and bungling - not when they rarely have an MLB Draft position in the first round thanks to the way Brian Cashman runs the franchise. There is a very wide gap between the Yankees track record of being able to sign and develop high-impact Major Leaguers from Latin America and Asia compared to the consistent performance of teams like the Dodgers, Padres and even the Pirates.

Today Ladies and Gentlemen, heads did indeed roll in the Bronx. The Yankees front office tolerance for the kind of prospect ammunition that the Yankees scouting department has been stocking the Yankees system with finally blew up in their faces. The Yankees had to finally admit that they’ve got widespread, systemic problems - it was just too much for Cashman and Company to put up with any longer.

Gone are international scouts Jose Sabino, Arturo Peña Jr., Moises Brito, Miguel Mojica, Jose Gavidia, Victor Deyan, Edgar Rodriguez, and longtime scout Victor Mata (who was the lead scout for the Yankees over the past 30 years, having been involved with prospects like Gary Sanchez, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano, Luis Severino, Alfonso Soriano, Jasson Dominguez, Miguel Andujar and many others).

So far you’ve read all this right. The Yankees have admitted to having massive Farm System Concerns complete with declining faith in their signed international prospects cache, as only 7 of the current Top 30 prospects are international signings while several high-profile signings failing to have met expectations.

What occurred very quietly, behind the scenes in Yankee-land this past Monday  reflects a push to revamp the international pipeline, aiming to develop future talent, though the Yankees organization is at the moment completely blind regarding international talent scouts and will need much time to rebuild a competent scouting department.

There is a side to all of this that covers up the detrimental role Brian Cashman has played in eroding the Yankees farm system as he certainly has played a huge role in liquidating  many a well thought of international prospect due to his ruthless desire to win now at all costs. It seems that with each passing Trade Deadline, the Yankees system grows weaker and more feeble.

Off the top of my head, I can think of several International players that the Yankees signed and traded away. Going back as far as 2006, Jesús Montero, signed out of Venezuela, was traded to the Mariners  for Michael Pineda. Then, in 2012, the Yankees moved Jorge Mateo, who they signed from the Dominican Republic, to the A’s for Sonny Gray. In 2017, the Yankees traded Ezequiel Durán, a Dominican signee, to the Rangers in the terrible Joey Gallo deal. In 2018, the Yankees sent the toolsy Kevin Alcántara, who they also signed out of the Dominican Republic Cubs for Anthony Rizzo. More recently, in 2024, Agustin Ramirez was dealt in part for Jazz Chisholm.

All of these moves made the headlines, some were good trades, others weren’t, but these trades aren’t the real problem here.

You see, very few International amateurs wind up making it to the Yankees roster. There have been exceptions in the distant past of course - like Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez and Miguel Andujar. There are also some who the Yankees either gave up on or failed to develop - players like Johnathan Loaisiga, Yoendrys  Gómez, Oswald Peraza, Brando Mayea, Alexander Vargas and the aforementioned Jasson Dominguez, Estevan Florial, Deivi Garcia, Everson Pereira and a good many others.

Of the Yankees' current Top 30 prospects, only seven of them were international signings by the team (Carlos Lagrange, Allen Facundo, Yostin Pena, Luis Serna, Stiven Marinez, Richard Matic and Chien-Fan Lai).

At least the Yankees are aware of their internal problems to a degree, but where are the checks and balances?

Why isn’t Brian Cashman also being let go for not only overseeing the whole international scouting mess that the franchise has suffered through, but for the many times when he liquidated talented international prospects and either got awful returns or worse yet, the the players go for almost nothing?