Yankees Rumors: Team Still Interested in Cuban Prospect Andy Ibanez

The Yankees missed out on Yoan Moncada, they didn’t sign Rusney Castillo or Hector Oliveria and failed to lock up Jorge Soler a few years back.

However, according to Dan Martin of the New York Post, the Yankees aren’t ready to give up on the Cuban international market just yet, as they’ve continued to express interest in second-base prospect Andy Ibanez.

“According to someone with knowledge of the situation”, Martin said, “the Yankees held an individual workout for infielder Andy Ibanez this week in Tampa.”

Earlier in the season, my co-editor Jason Evans reported that the Yankees as well as the Dodgers were scouting the second base prospect in a private workout held in Miami.

Ibanez, 22, is considered to be a speedy middle infield prospect, but no where near as talented as Yoan Moncada, whom the Yankees failed to sign this spring and is now the Red Sox prized prospect. Non the less, Ibanez still carries a significant level of upside. According to baseball america, Ibanez is the no. 8 ranked player in Cuba, and has posted a slash line of .283/.348/.419 with 60 doubles, six triples and 13 home runs in three years played with Isla de la Juventud of the Cuban Nationals Series.

Ibanez is eligible to sign immediately, as he became a free-agent back in February and is expected to get up to at least a $10 million bonus. The Yankees would have to pay a 100-percent dollar-for-dollar tax figure on him because they exceeded their limit on international spending for this signing period with a surplus of signings last June.

Will the Yankees sign him? We’ll have to wait and see. This is certainly a rumor to monitor closely.

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