Yankees lurking in shadows of Roki Sasaki chase could pay off in sneaky way

The New York Yankees have more than likely finalized their list of amateur signings in international free agency -- but they also smartly haven't closed the door on making potential additions.

That's why, when nearly every other MLB team went final with their thorough lists on Wednesday, the Yankees stayed silent, burying an official announcement until some additional business got done.

Yes, the Yankees are out on Roki Sasaki. In fact, they were the second team officially eliminated by Sasaki's camp, after the San Francisco Giants. Wisely, though, that didn't mean they tuned out entirely. The three Sasaki finalists in Toronto, Los Angeles, and San Diego engaged in a frantic arms race this week, breaking international commitments, placing teenagers on pause, and attempting to acquire spare chunks of bonus pool to even up their offers.

While the Yankees are likely satisfied with their haul, they might just be able to add to it and collect some scorned future stars. According to Ben Badler, they're waiting to officially finalize their current crop until the Sasaki news settles, which makes all the sense in the world if they're looking to maximize their opportunity to land impact players.

Yankees waiting for Roki Sasaki fallout to steal some of Dodgers, Padres, Blue Jays' International signings

A few of the Dodgers' biggest names have already found new landing spots, as MLB teams with wiggle room pounced before the chaos peaked. The Pirates flipped Dominican shortstop Darell Morel and doubled his financial windfall, while the Twins swiped top-50 name Teilon Serrano for a $1 million bounty.

The Yankees might also be hoping to be the beneficiary of the Dodgers' desperation. Rumor had it, at one point, that they were considering flipping top-100 prospect Josue De Paula for a sizeable chunk of international money. The Yanks would probably prefer to have De Paula in their system than some of their planned additions, and might pivot away from their new class if such a thing became possible.

No matter the avenue, there are plenty of ways for the Yankees to take advantage of the chaos here, even if Sasaki was never destined to land in the Bronx.