Potential 5-tool shortstop highlights 2025 Yankees international signing class

When the Yankees lost out on Roki Sasaki -- as expected -- that allowed them to zero in on and finalize a number of pursuits in international free agency. Though the vast majority of 2025 commitments have been etched in semi-permanent ink for months now, the Dodgers and Padres showed this past week that things can change on a dime when one particular right-hander is holding the limbo stick.

Now formally safe from the Sasaki charade, the Yankees were able to finalize a number of agreements with teenaged talents on Wednesday.

Their class is highlighted by Dominican shortstop Manny Cedeño, a 16-year-old who ranks No. 11 on MLB Pipeline's list of the top talents of the field at large. According to scouting experts, the majority of Cedeño's tools have been graded at around a 50 on the 20-80 scale.

That means that, at 16 years old, he already has a solidly high projected talent floor in just about every aspect of the game.

Yankees sign shortstop Manny Cedeño to top their 2025 International Free Agent class

The Yankees' class isn't as extravagant this year as it has been, but if there's one thing you knew was coming, based on the way they've operated in years past, they were guaranteed to add another projectable shortstop to their collection. The only shocker is that Cedeño doesn't hit from the left side.

Still, the Yankees need to take as many bites at the apple as they can these days, and the international market is a safe place for them to target the talent they prefer, rather than hoping high-upside options slip to them in the draft towards the bottom of the first round (or even lower, as they continue to exceed the luxury tax and sign MLB free agents). Baseball Prospectus' Top 101 Prospects list became the latest outlet to nearly ignore the Yankees' farm, ranking only Jasson Dominguez highly and sliding George Lombard Jr. into the tail end of their CVS receipt-length dissertation. Spencer Jones slipped out of the running entirely. New York needs widely appraised talent, and fast.

Who is in Yankees' 2025 International Free Agency signing class?

Cedeño is the only top-50 name on Pipeline's list tied to the Yankees, but the class also reportedly includes outfielders Ruben and Isaias Castillo, outfielder Edison Charles, and infielder Carlos Bello. Ruben Castillo has been ranked highly in the past, but seems to have slipped in the consensus rankings lately.

Chin up, though, Yankees fans. Once upon a time, Juan Soto was ranked 25th overall in his class. And those projections? Turned out to be completely right! He is a gigantic loser.