Yankees News: NYY secure top international prospect, Bryan Reynolds update, Frankie Montas

Well, the New York Yankees have done it. They made a free agency signing in the year 2023. To all the haters who said it wouldn’t be possible, this one’s for you! Kidding. Well, kind of. Sunday was the beginning of the international signing period and the Yanks wasted no time.

As expected after months and months of speculation, the Yankees signed No. 9 ranked international prospect Brandon Mayea to a $4.35 million contract. The 17-year-old outfielder from Cuba, despite being ranked ninth, was viewed by some as the second-best prospect on the international market alongside catcher Ethan Salas, who signed with the San Diego Padres for $5.6 million.

Mayea, formerly a shortstop, is now a center fielder, but scouts still reportedly like his arm strength at short. It’s unknown what the future holds for him once he officially joins the Yankees’ organization, but all you need to know is that they got one of the most talented prospects out there.

As of right now, Mayea owns the third-largest deal of this international free agent class, only behind Salas and Dominican shortstop Felnin Celesten, who got $4.7 million from the Seattle Mariners.

Expect to see Mayea in the Yankees’ top 30 prospect rankings once the deal becomes official (it’s currently pending a physical). He’s been referred to as “mini Gary Sheffield” if you’re into that kind of stuff, too.

More New York Yankees news

• It seems as if we might have some closure on the Bryan Reynolds front. Per ESPN’s Buster Olney, rival executives believe the Pirates will be holding on to the All-Star outfielder until this year’s trade deadline. At the moment, it doesn’t seem as if any of the interested teams are biting on Pittsburgh’s trade demands, so waiting it out isn’t the worst idea for them, especially since Reynolds’ value should probably hold up while teams get more desperate for help halfway through the season.
• You saw what happened with Frankie Montas. The right-hander is expected to miss the first month of the season with shoulder inflammation — the same shoulder injury he dealt with that was well-documented before the Yankees traded for him last August. Can the Yankees afford to put Domingo Germán or Clarke Schmidt in that fifth rotation spot for 4-5 weeks? Really not sure about that. Michael Wacha, anybody?

News from around Major League Baseball

• The Red Sox are interested in Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar after Trevor Story underwent Tommy John surgery. If only they had re-signed one of the best players in franchise history to avoid all of this …
• The Cubs signed former Orioles All-Star Trey Mancini over the weekend. He’s out of the division and will also no longer be a Houston Astro. Praise be.
• Chicago is also reportedly interested in relievers Andrew Chafin and Matt Moore, two guys the Yankees should absolutely be considering for their bullpen, especially after the loss of Montas.

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the week, though the offseason is expected to get quieter. So please, enjoy your playoff football, Giants fans!

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